


Please Stay

by TeaTones



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Blood of Olympus, M/M, Plague Will, The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus) Spoilers, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 48,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28823553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaTones/pseuds/TeaTones
Summary: A look at the ending of Blood of Olympus from Will's point of view.Will and Nico get thrown ass backwards into the Labyrinth, unprepared, and at a significant disadvantage. Also they can't find a way out. Do they let a mouse lead the way? (Spoiler alert, they do.)
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 122
Kudos: 227





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿  
> Hey guys!

Will was pacing outside of the Big House, with his nerves absolutely shot half to Hades. 

To say it was a long night for him would be an understatement of the sentury. Never once in all his years at Camp Halfblood did William Andrew Solace think he would be in charge of delivering a baby. Added to that, delivering a baby only hours before the camp was going to be under heavy fire from the Romans. 

Try as he might, he couldn’t get his hands to stop shaking. 

Looking up from where he stood, he could see the front line of the Roman camps clear as day despite it being incredibly early in the morning. And if their heavily guarded camps and huge looming hoards of monsters surrounding them wasn’t intimidating enough, the sight of the six large onagers picketing the front line defense was borderline terrifying.

All around Will, Greeks were readying their defenses, with Clarisse giving orders while the other Ares kids helped with last minute adjustments for traps and weapon distribution.

Will could see his fellow cabin mates readying their bows and adjusting their armor. Kayla took the lead for him while Will was busy with delivering a sater baby, which was probably for the best given her natural prowess with fighting and archery. 

Will, after all, was only a healer. He wasn’t gifted with most of his fathers other talents. He couldn’t use a bow and arrow as effectively as the other campers, and he’s never been a terribly gifted writer or musician. 

But he was a damn good healer. 

“Hey Will!” The blond boy turned to see two of his friends approaching, Lou Ellen and Cecil.

Will stopped his pacing and greeted his friends, who were dressed head to toe in black cloths. Cecil had a small messenger bag over his shoulder, and a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck. Lou Ellen looked to be in a very similar state.

“Hey guys.”

“How did it go?” Cecil asked, trying to play it cool and ignore the big looming weapons aimed at their camp.

It took Will a second to process what  _ it _ was, “Oh right, the baby—“ he minimized the nervous fidgeting his hands were doing by shoving them into his pockets, “Yeah it went well, the baby is healthy. The coach is in there with them right now. Made it just on time for the delivery.” 

“Dude you look like you’ve seen a ghost. You gonna be alright?” Lou Ellen was tapping her fingers on her thigh nervously, looking over Will's shoulder to the Big House, as if she would be able to see the happy new family through the walls. 

“A little shaken up, but you know,” Will shrugged and tried to play it down, “Not every day you have to deliver a baby. A real, live sater baby! Not something I saw happening to me at the ripe young age of 15, but you know. Just another day in the life of a teenage demigod.”

Lou Ellen gave Will a sympathetic look while Cecil nervously scanned the surrounding area, as if a Roman might pop out for a sneak attack at any moment.

“We’re going to scout,” Lou Ellen explained, “If your up for it, would you want to—“

“Yes, please god I need something to take my mind off the horrors of childbirth.”

A few minutes later, Will was changed into a similar outfit as his two friends: black long sleeved shirt, black jeans, the darkest pair of sneakers he owned, and black paint stripes beneath each eye. Each had a knife clipped to their belts for self defence if needed.

They set up a spot just out of sight of the Romans, hidden in the shadow of Thalia’s tree. Lou Ellen did her work manipulating the mist around them to add a final layer of camouflage, and they were set. 

From his spot, Will used his binoculars to scope out the type of ammunition they were loading the onagers with. They looked like rather large clumps of dirt at first glance, but Will wasn’t stupid. Looking closer, he could see the shiny reflective clumps of imperial gold embedded in what looked like a mixture of clay and something else. 

From this distance, Will’s keen sense of smell picked up on one more thing, something that had his heart sinking. 

Napalm. 

The projectile was glistening, and with a sudden sense of dread, Will’s brain came to the conclusion that they were in way more trouble than they thought possible. Which was saying something, as they were already in a huge pile of shit.

It was a deadly mixture, imperial gold and napalm; or imperial gold with any flammable substance really. Not only was it one of the most deadly metals to use against a demigod, it was extremely volatile when introduced with extreme heat.

Will thought about his fellow campers at the base of the hill. The satyrs and dryads, naiads and other nature spirits that lived in the woods around them. Even just the regular wildlife like squirrels and deer. It would only take a few good hits from the onagers and the camp would be wiped out. Not just that, but Long Island Sound would effectively be leveled.

Ok so this was definitely not the most ideal situation to be in. This was absolutely the worst case scenario, or worse than what they’d imagined the worst case scenario to be. 

“Cecil, do you smell that?” Lou Ellen asked.

“It wasn’t me-“ Cecil began before getting cut off.

“No, not you, you idiot!” She smacked him in the back of the head.

“It’s napalm.” Will said, not taking his eyes off the object in question. And somehow, saying it out loud let the gravity of their situation sink in. 

“How do you know what napalm smells like?” Lou Ellen and Cecil asked in unison.

Will looked at them from the corner of his eye, “The Ares cabin gets up to some stuff.” and that was the only real explanation they needed.

He’s just delivered a baby today, just a few hours ago. Mellie and Coach Henge were with their new born baby, Chuck, a couple hundred feet behind them. His horror morphed into anger and determination as he found his resolve. He refused to let that baby’s life get cut short like that. He’d worked too damn hard to make sure he was safely delivered only to let a single hair on his head get harmed. 

“We have to prevent them from using the onagers. We can’t—“

A figure seemingly morphed out of the shadow of Thalia’s tree and scared the living daylights out of the three scouts.

Cecil and Lou Ellen looked on in stunned silence as they took the figure in, and flattened themselves further against the ground as if forgetting the fact they were well hidden behind the Mist.

Nico Di Angelo was standing a good five feet away from the three of them, and Will could definitely say he’s never been taken so off guard in his entire life. 

And he could tell you, he’d been taken off guard plenty. 

His two friends seemed to forget the high stakes mission for a moment, as they both shared knowing looks with each other before turning to Will. All of which went completely unnoticed, as Will looked at Nico’s sudden appearance with equal parts astonishment and confusion. Maybe there was a little bit of hope in there as well, but that was quickly squashed down by Will as he tried to stay present in the moment.

Nico Di Angelo, the boy Will had been harboring a crush on since the Titan War a few years back, stood only a few feet away. Completely oblivious to the thrio crouched down just behind him. 

Will hoped with every fiber of his being that neither of his friends would say anything or  _ do _ anything to tease him over his still very present, very unrequited crush. 

Between his two friends to his right, and his siblings in cabin seven, they’d heard him rant and ramble about his crush on the son of Hades. He had a brief flashback to that time he and his siblings Kayla and Austin stayed up till an absurd hour in the night as they talked. How Will had come out as gay to his siblings, and recounting the time when he realized he was. 

He remembered the stunned moment he had running between debris and parked vehicles in the streets trying to help bring any injured campers to safety. Everything felt so helpless, it seemed as though Kronos would actually win. 

Then— _ THEN _ —Nico Di Angelo jumped out of a large dark shadow that came from nowhere, riding into battle on the back of a hellhound the size of a city bus and radiating an aura of death so pungent, he effortlessly parted a sea of monsters and charged right up to Kronos, hopped off Mrs. O’Leary and raised an army of undead warriors behind him, followed shortly by Hades himself!

_ "Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?" _

_ "Son of Hades." Kronos spit on the ground. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?" _

_ "Your death," Nico said, "would be great for me." _

_ "I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live." _

_ Nico drew his sword-three feet of wicked sharp Stygian iron, black as a nightmare. "I don't agree.”  _

The few weeks after the Titan war, things were a mess. Camp was being rebuilt with the addition of the new cabins for children of the other gods now being represented. 

But an even bigger marker for those few weeks after the battle, was the large gaps of missing or dead campers, which created a blanket of unease and hurt throughout the entire camp.

Will was charged with healing as many campers as he possibly could. He kept overexerting himself literally trying to put campers back together who’d lost an arm or leg, jumping to the aid of campers in critical condition, and nearly killing himself in the process. It felt like he lived in the camp infirmary at that point, and though his other cabin mates would help where they could with their own healing magic, nobody was as good with healing as Will. 

Will was dealing with the pressure of now being the head of the Apollo cabin. Will was dealing with the loss of his brother Michael. Pluss, Will was getting hit the hardest with the amount of campers who’d died. The ones who he’d spent hours with trying to heal fatal wounds of who still passed on, though it wasn't very many who did. 

But Will still couldn’t help blaming himself. If only he was good enough, or maybe he just didn’t try hard enough or maybe he couldn't get to them quickly enough? Death in war was inevitable. But what made things so much worse, was when those dying were 10-16 years old. Those who’d barely experienced life, who never had the chance to figure out who they even were. Kids who’d never even been claimed by their godly parents.

Will knew he was being unfair to himself, he’d given them all everything he had to give and then some. He told himself he had to stay focused on the ones who did make it, the ones who still needed his help. 

By the time he finally did have a chance to try and seek Nico out, the son of Hades was gone. 

Nobody knew where he went, and Will was crushed. 

Now, the boy literally just morphed out of the shadows right in front of him and Will was a jumble of so many different conflicting emotions.

But pushing those aside, Will couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong. Nico was leaning against the tree like he might topple over at any minute.

His eyes were unreadable as the son of Hades took in the line of defense the Romans put up. His eyes seemed to lock in on the same thing Will’s had moments prior. 

“Evil,” Nico seethed, “This is evil.” Then the son of Hades locked eyes on the Romans command tent, looking like he was planning something.

“Should we let him know we’re here before we take him off guard?” Lou Ellen asked in a hushed whisper, “He’s on our side, right?”

“He’s on our side.” Will confirmed, “He’s the only reason Coach Henge was able to make it back to camp today.” Will whispered back. His mind went back to some information the coach had given him earlier. Nico had, for the most part, shadow-traveled himself, the coach, Reyna, and the Athena Parthenos from the House of Hades in Europe, to back here at Camp Half-Blood. 

The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, washing Nico’s cold features in a warmer light. Will still had the sense that something was very wrong with the son of Hades, and very carefully started to stand up.

“Nico?”

If Will’s brain hadn't told him to jump backwards when it did, Will would have definitely lost his head as Nico panicked and swung his sword out in self defence before he took in who had taken him so off guard. Nico looked horrified that he’d nearly lobbed Will’s head off, then very irritated that Will took him by surprise in the first place. 

“Put that down!” Will raised his hands in a gesture that hopefully conveyed that they weren't here to fight, “What are you doing here?” Was the only thing Will’s panicking brain could muster up. Of course Will knew what Nico was doing here, it sounded like a stupid thing to say. But when one’s life flashes before their eyes, they’re probably intitled to say something stupid moments later.

The son of Hades took in the rest of the scouting party with equal parts bemusement and irritation, “ _ Me? _ ” his voice sounded defensive, “What are  _ you _ doing? Getting yourselves killed?” he lowered his stord. Nico’s expression perfectly conveyed his annoyance with Will and his group and then some.

Will’s heart rate started to normalize and he frowned at the other boy, “Hey, we’re scouting the enemy. We took precautions.”

“You’re dressed in black,” Nico noted, “with the sun coming up.” He gestured to the beach at the far end of the camp where the first notes of red began to peek over the horizon, “You painted your face but didn't cover up that mop of blond hair. You might as well be waving a yellow flag.” Nico raised an eyebrow. 

For a moment, Will felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't see it, but he could tell he was probably blushing. But then he felt irritation seep in and he shot Nico a glare.

“Lou Ellen wrapped some mist around us too.” He finally gestured to his friends next to him. 

She lifted the mist completely so her and Cecil fully came into view, “Hi,” she wiggled her fingers, “You’re Nico right? I’ve heard a lot about you.” She gave Will a knowing glance and Will glared down at her, “And this is Cecil from the Hermes cabin.”

“We didn’t want to take you off guard, but I guess that didn’t work.” Cecil piped in.

“Yeah definitely not.” Nico deadpanned.

The son of Hades reluctantly knelt down with them, “Did Coach Henge make it to camp?”

Lou Ellen giggled nervously, “Did he ever.” She nudged Will’s arm.

Will elbowed her back, “Yeah Henge is fine. He made it back just in time for the baby’s birth.”

“The baby!” Nico looked excited, almost as if he’d forgotten that he was irritated with the three of them, “Mellie and the kid are alright?” 

Will’s brain faltered for a moment while he took in Nico’s thousand watt smile. He couldn't help but faun over how cute he looked, and how much he wanted to see the son of Hades smile like that all the time.

“Fine,” Will finally replied while trying to suppress war flashbacks of the child birth, “A very cute little satyr boy.” the shaking in his hands kind of returned, “But I delivered it. Have you ever delivered a baby?” Will didn’t know why he asked that, of course nobody here had ever delivered a baby. None were from the Apollo cabin, and none had any real medical experience. 

Plus they were still all teenagers.

Nico gave him a weird look, “Um, no.”

“I had to get some fresh air, that’s why I volunteered for this mission.” He looked down at his hands, “Gods of Olympus, my hands are still shaking.” He reached over to grab Nico’s hands to further drive home his point, “See?”

A shock of pain and darkness washed over Will. He could feel just how disconnected to reality Nico’s body had become after back to back shadow traveling, and that terrified him. That feeling was something Will had never felt in a patient ever. At least not ones who weren't on the brink of death. Fear and dread overloaded the medic’s brain, and he completely forgot he was still holding Nico’s hands.

Nico frowned and quickly redrew his hands, giving Will a funny look, “Whatever,” he snapped, “We don’t have time for chitchat.” He looked back over at the Roman camps, “The Romans are attacking at dawn and I’ve got to--”

“We know,” Will said, “But if you’re planning to shadow-travel to that command tent, forget it.” Will gave Nico the same no nonsense tone he gave any of his defiant patients at camp.

Nico glared even harder at the son of Apollo, “Excuse me?”

Will leveled him with a glare that could easily match his own before responding, “Coach Henge told me all about your shadow-travel. You  _ can’t _ try that again.” 

For a moment, Nico just looked confused before his glare was reinforced, “I just  _ did _ try that again, Solace. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. I’m a healer. I could feel the darkness in your hands as soon as I touched them. Even if you made it to that tent, you’d be in no shape to fight. But you  _ wouldn’t _ make it. One more slip, and you won’t come back. You are  _ not _ shadow-traveling. Doctors orders.”

Nico looked helpless for a moment before irritation set in once again, “But the camp is about to be destroyed--”

“And we’ll stop the Romans,” Will shot him down, “But we’ll do it our way. Lou Ellen will control the Mist. We’ll sneak around, do as much damage as we can to those onagers. But  _ no _ shadow-travel.”

“But--”

“ _ No. _ ”

Lou Ellen and Cecil’s heads swiveled back and forth as if watching the world's most intense tennis match between the two demigods.

After a standstill, Nico finally sighed. He looked from the Roman camp to Camp Half-Blood, seeming conflicted, then back to Will. The stair he gave the son of Apollo gave him a sense like Nico was looking straight through him. He looked confused and conflicted, then annoyed before finally giving in.

“Whatever. But we have to hurry--and you’ll follow  _ my _ lead.”

“Fine. Just don’t ask me to deliver any more satyr babies and we’ll get along great.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More shit happens.

As they approached the first onager, the monsters flanking the legions started to cause an uproar. Will’s first thought ‘ _ We’re caught.’ _

But then he began to notice that the fighting was entirely within the bounds of the Roman camps, and that they were brawling with other Romans. What started as a simple tiff turned into the entire Fifth Cohort defending themselves against the monsters, with legionnaires scattering and one dropping their pila.

“What’s going on down there?” Lou Ellen asked, her eyes darting between their group, to the onager a couple yards away, and to the now very preoccupied guards.

“That’s my distraction,” Nico stated, “Come on.”

All the guards around the first onager had clustered to the right side in an attempt to see what was going on down the ranks, which gave the four Greeks a clear shot to the left. Will followed last in line to cover their backs if anything should happen. 

They jumped the spiked trench and reached the machine.

Cecil carefully dug through his bag, “I brought Greek fire.” He whispered as he pulled out the small vile.

“No,” Nico said, “If we make the damages too obvious, we’ll never get to the others in time.” Nico peeked around the onager to make sure the Roman guards were still distracted before looking back at Cecil, “Can you recalibrate them—like, towards the other onagers’ firing lines?”

Cecil grinned like a madman, “Oh, I like the way you think.” He passed the vial of greek fire to Will before digging through his bag for a pocket knife that was full of different screwdrivers and wrenches, “They sent me because I excel at messing things up.” and with that he went to work.

Will couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips. It was dumb. It was  _ really _ dumb. But seeing Nico actually kind of get along with his friends gave him some sort of hope that after this, if there even was an after this, Will might actually get to befriend the son of Hades.

Will looked past his group and watched on as the Fifth Cohort continued their brawl with the two-headed men. The Fourth Cohort was moving in to help now. The rest of the legion was still in position, however the officers were having trouble keeping order.

“All right,” Cecil folded his pocket knife, “Let’s move.”

Carefully, they shuffled across the hillside towards the next onager. Unfortunately for them, this time the Mist didn’t work so well. 

One of the guards yelled, “Hey!” and started to march up to them. Only, it was apparent that he’s just noticed Will out of the group as him and some other guards made a b-line for the blond. Will cursed himself for straying a little too far behind, probably straying just outside the Mist Lou Ellen had manipulated around them.

In a quick spur of the moment improv, Will mumbled, “Got this.” before raising the vial of Greek Fire over his head and shouted, “Hey Romans! Look what I’ve got.” 

Before he began his sprint away from the group, he made sure they all got a good view of the explosive. He could only hope he booked it fast enough to have taken all eyes off the group before the rest got spotted. 

Will made a mad dash around the outskirts of the Roman territory in an attempt to guarner as little attention as possible; dodging and weaving through trees and traps set by the Romans while six guards were on his tail. Right as the closest guard almost caught him, Will veered to the right and stopped on time to watch the group pass by, before they realized they’d passed their target and changed course.

Once more, Will found himself in the lead, now wondering how many times could he do that before the guards caught on. 

He couldn't help himself as he started to laugh. They bordered dangerously close to Greek territory, so once more, Will veered to the left and stopped, then ran back closer to the Roman camp. He had to play it as safe as he could to not bring too much attention to the small parade he had going behind him, like threading the needle. Only except if he didn't do it correctly the first try things could end horribly.

Will was starting to feel winded when he heard a small commotion start behind him. He took a moment to see Nico quickly disarming and knocking out the line of Romans that had been following him. The son of Hades pulled no punches and made quick work of it while being careful not to actually land any fatal blows; kicking groins, smacking faces with the flat of his blade, bashing helmets with his pommel. In ten seconds all the Romans lay groaning and dazed on the ground.

Will brushed the blond curls off his forehead, breathing hard but smiling, “Thanks for the assist. Six at once isn't bad.” he punched Nico’s shoulder.

The shorter boy shot Will a glare, “ _ Not bad? _ ” he huffed out, “Next time I’ll just let them run you down, Solace.”

Will snorted, “Ah, they’d never catch me.”

Before Nico could add anything further, Will looked over his shoulder at Cecil who was waving by the onager, “Guess it’s time to move on.” Will gave a careful look around before quickly stepping around the group of dazed Roman officers and making a quick sprint up to Cecil and Lou Ellen, with Nico following up shortly behind him.

For a moment, Will found some amusement in the new group of confused piglets now surrounding his friends  _ ‘Ah yes, the pig ball. Lou Ellen had been wanting to use that for weeks now.’ _

Will took a moment to pass the vial of Greek Fire back to Cecil, who now tucked it safely back in his bag.

Fortunately for them, the continuing chaos inhabiting the legion ranks made it easy for them to slip behind the Mist as they made their way towards the third onager. Unfortunately for them, as they approached the third onager, the officers were starting to reassert control. As monsters were separated and pushed back to their respective camps, the First Cohort stepped closer to the third onager.

Will watched for orders from Nico as they quietly navigated around the Romans, who were now distracted as a group of officers paraded around shouting out orders.

They all had the same thought in mind  _ ‘One more onager and they might stand a chance.’ _

Which really made it unfortunate when the guards spotted them from twenty feet away when one yelled, “There!”

Lou Ellen cursed, “They’re  _ expecting  _ an attack now. The Mist doesn't work well against alert enemies. Do we run?”

“No,” Nico said, “Let’s give them what they expect.” the son of Hades raised both hands out in front of him and closed his eyes.

“ _ Nico-- _ ” Will had an unsettling suspicion Nico was about to disobey doctors orders.

His suspicions were very quickly proven true when the ground around them erupted as five skeletal soldiers clawed out of the earth. Nico was about to join the fight, but his legs gave out from the overexertion. 

Will was quick enough to catch him by the arm before he hit the floor.

“You idiot,” Will put his arm around him to help support him, while he used his other hand to quickly dig through his own bag to retrieve some medicine to help with the drowsiness, “I told you no more of that Underworld magic.” 

“I’m  _ fine _ .” Nico insisted while he tried to get steady back on his feet.

“Shut up. You’re not.” Will pulled out a small pack that had sticks of chewable medicine and held a piece out for him, “Take this.”

Nico gave him an unimpressed look, “You want me to chew gum?”

Will rolled his eyes, “It’s medicinal. Should keep you alive and alert for a few more hours.”

Nico popped a piece in his mouth and grimsed, “Tastes like tar and dirt.” which was definitely a fair assessment. It really wasn’t the best as far as flavor goes, but it was quick and did the trick. 

“Stop complaining.” Will left off the  _ ‘You did it to yourself.’  _ even though he really wanted to say it.

“Hey!” Cecil limped over looking like he pulled a muscle, “You guys kind of missed the fight.”

Behind him, Lou Ellen followed with a stupid grin on her face. Behind them, Roman guards were tangled in a weird assortment of ropes and bones.

“Thanks to the skeletons,” she clapped Nico on the shoulder, “Great trick.”

“Which he  _ won’t  _ be doing again.” Will continued, once more giving Nico the same tone he gives stubborn patients. Usually this level of defiance against medical advice, Will got from the Ares cabin. He wasn’t expecting the son of Hades to be so idiotic about his health.

People can say what they will about Hades kids being creepy and weirdly obsessing over death, but Will would have hoped that the knowledge this stubborn boy next to him had about death would have made him act a little more wisley. 

Apparently not.

Just another person at camp Will would have to add to his list of people he needed to keep an eye on, because Olympus knows Nico apparently had no sense of self preservation. 

As if Nico only just now realized he was still leaning against Will for support, he pushed the son of Apollo away and stood on his own two feet, “I’ll do what I need to.” He snapped.

For a moment, the two boys were at another standstill, with Nico glaring at Will, and Will giving Nico the unimpressed  _ ‘Are you done yet?’ _ no nonsense look he gives all his ornery patients.

Will finally just rolled his eyes, “Fine, Death Boy. If you want to get yourself killed--”

“Do  _ not _ call me  _ Death Boy _ !”

Lou Ellen cleared her throat, “Um, guys--”

“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”

They both turned. The fight at the third onager hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

Lucky them.

The entire First Cohort was advancing on their little group, spears leveled, shields locked. Leading them marched a boy of about Will’s height. His hair was only slightly wavy, a wheat colored blond; his skin was very pale. He was tall and scrawny. He wore flashy purple robes over his armor, adorned with glittering Imperial gold jewelry which draped around his neck, with goddy pendants, one of which had a sun emblem etched into it. Around his arms, more bands and bracelets made of Imperial gold went from his biceps down to his wrists. 

Infuriatingly enough, he wore a crown of laurels atop his head, as if to say  _ ‘This battle is already won!’ _

Will decided right from the start that he hated this guy. Not because he was a Roman, and not because he was likely the one leading the attack on Camp Half-Blood. No no. It was entirely because of how dushy he looked dressed head to toe in flashy clothing while playing like he was all powerful and mighty.

The dude looked like Will could probably push him and he’d toppal over with all that heavy gold jewelry draped over his body like he was pretending to be some god. 

To his right, another boy stood holding the golden eagle.

To his left, six huge cynocephali stood snarling and baring their sharp canine teeth with their swords drawn and glowing red.

“Well,” he bit out, “ _ Graecus  _ saboteurs.” he turned to his dog-headed warriors, “Tear them apart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys long time no see! (｡´∀｀)ﾉ


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apollo wannabe Dollar Store knock off is actually Octavian's full name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey again guys! ⊂( ・ ̫・)⊃

Will was just downright annoyed at this point. Not only was Camp Half-Blood soon to be under attack, not only was the lives of Greeks and Romans alike in serious danger, but this Apollo wannabe dollar store knock off was behind the entire attack. This gangly, sad little man in front of his group was ordering around  _ monsters _ , and if that didn’t speak highly of his character, Will wasn’t sure what did. 

Oh and also his crush was an absolute, obstinate little bastard with no sense of self preservation. 

As the dog headed men barreled forward, Nico raised his sword ready for a fight. One that Will had no doubt Nico would lose in his current state. The gum needed at least a good ten minutes to take full effect.

Will had to do something, so without warning Will put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing taxicab whistle that could give any New Yorker a run for their money. All six of the cynocephali dropped to the ground cowering, hands clutching their ears as they whimpered.

“Dude!” Cecil gave Will an exasperated look, “What the actual Hades? A little warning next time.” his friend complained.

“It’s even worse for the dogs, sorry.” Will gave his friends an apologetic look. Nico looked more bewildered than he did irritated, “One of my few musical talents. I do a really  _ awful _ ultrasonic whistle.” Will shrugged.

Nico gave a curt nod, which was probably the most praise he’ll ever get from him.

The son of Hades waded his way through the dog-men, casually jabbing them with his sword as he made his way forward towards the other blond. All the monsters he jabbed dissolved into shadows.

The man in the gaudy jewelry and purple robes looked too stunned to react. Will took pride in knowing his awful taxicab whistle had done  _ something _ to them. He was a little sympathetic to his friends, but it was quick and effective in the moment.

“My--my elite guard!” The Apollo wannabe cried, “Did you  _ see _ what he did to my elite guard?” he was looking around at his troops in search of sympathy.

“Some dogs need to be put down.” Nico took a step forward, “Like you.”

Will couldn't help the smile on his face when the guards around them took a step back from Nico. Because in all honesty, it was kinda hot.

After the brief moment, the entire First Cohort remembered themselves and leveled their pila once more.

“You will be destroyed!” The boy shrieked, “You Graeci sneak around, sabotaging our weapons, attacking our men--”

“You mean the weapons you were about to fire on us?” Cecil interrupted him.

“And the men who were about to burn our camp to ashes?” Lou Ellen added.

He threw his hands in the air, “Just like a  _ Greek _ !” he yelled, “Trying to twist things around! Well, it wont work.” He glared at Cecil and Lou Ellen, “You, you, you, and you.” He pointed at some of his guards, “Check all the onagers. Make sure they’re operational. I want them fired simultaneously as soon as possible.” 

The Romans seemed to hesitate, “ _ Go! _ ” The boy yelled, sending all four guards running.

Will felt absolute dread. By god’s he hoped they wouldn't notice the tampering Cecil had done. If they did, Camp Half-Blood would surely be done for. Will clenched his fists in anger as he thought about baby Chuck.

But he had to hold out hope that Cecil had done his job well enough that they wouldn't notice. Cecil was great at that sort of thing, he was the son of Hermes afterall.

Will’s level of annoyance only grew as the other blond marched up to Nico, as if he’d been around Nico all his life to not be unnerved by the aura of death the son of Hades was giving off. He stopped only a yard away and glowered down at the shorter boy.

“Tell me, son of Pluto,” he hissed, “why are you helping the Greeks? What have they ever done for you?”

That struck a nerve with Will. He could tell Nico was pissed off as well, the way his knuckles turned paler that normal as his fingers tightened around his swords grip.

After a moment, Nico finally replied in the most ‘ _ I’m pissed but I’m trying to play it cool’ _ kind of tone Will had ever heard, “I’m helping the Greeks  _ and _ the Romans.”

The other boy laughed, “Don’t try to con me. What have they offered you--a place at their camp?” He glared over Nico’s shoulder at Will, “They won't honor their agreement.”

“I don’t  _ want _ a place at their camp,” Nico snarled, “Or in yours. When this war is over, I’m leaving both camps for good.”

Will’s body went rigid as he was hit with a wave of disappointment and hurt that gave the one he'd experienced after the Titan War a run for its money. Nico didn’t mean that, right?

“Why would you do that?” Will found himself asking the question without even really intending to.

Nico scowled over his shoulder at Will, “It’s none of your business, but I don’t belong.” He turned back to the other blond, “That should be obvious. No one actually wants me around, I’m a child of--”

“Oh please.” Will was surprised by how angry he sounded when he said that but didn't really care at the moment, “Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away. You have friends--or at least, people who would  _ like _ to be your friend.” Will wasn't sure where this level of confidence was coming from, but at the look of shock Nico was giving him, like  _ ‘This has never happened before?’ _ Will found himself continuing, “You pushed yourself away. If you’d get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once--”

“Enough!” Dollar Store Apollo shouted, “Di Angelo, I can beat any offer the Greeks could make. I always thought you would make a powerful ally. I see the ruthlessness in you, and I appreciate that. I can assure you a place in New Rome. All you have to do is step aside and let the Romans win. The god Apollo has shown me the future--”

As he continued to speak, Will felt his anger come to a boil and he finally had enough.

“No!” he shoved Nico out of the way and got in Dollar Store Apollo’s face, “ _ I _ am the son of Apollo, you anemic loser. My father hasn't shown anyone the future, because the power of prophecy isn't working. But  _ this-- _ ” Will waved loosely at the assembled legion, “This is  _ not _ what Apollo would want!”

The other boy’s lips curled, “You lie. The god told me  _ personally _ that I would be remembered as the savior of Rome. I will lead the legion to victory, and I will start by--”

Will felt the sound before he heard it. Like the sound of a heart beat through the earth and reverberated through the air.

_ -thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk- _

Each beat was the sound of an onager being set off. Will was so caught up in his anger that he momentarily forgot about what was happening. They looked like six golden, fiery comets streaking across the sky.

“Destroy the Greeks!” Dollar Store Apollo shouted with glee, “The days of Camp Half-Blood are over!”

For a solid moment of terror, Will had thought they failed. But then something beautiful happened.

The three onagers they’d tampered with shot their projectiles in a near perfect course to intercept the remaining three, causing them to explode mid flight. A spark of the Imperial gold looked like a firework in the sky above. 

A deadly firework at that. The heat wave that came afterwards stung Will’s skin, the grass hissed, and the trees overhead were steaming. But other than that, once everything settled it looked like there was so real damage.

“NO! NO, NO! RELOAD!” Dollar Store Apollo stomped his feet and yelled like a child throwing a tantrum.

No one in the First Cohort moved. The tromping of boots could be heard towards their right as the Fifth Cohort marched towards them double-time.

Down the hill the rest of the Roman legions we’re trying to form up, but the Second, Third and Fourth Cohorts we’re now surrounded by a sea of ill tempered monstrous allies. Apparently they weren’t too thrilled over the fireworks display that happened overhead, probably more disappointed in the fact that Camp Half-Blood wasn’t currently the war zone that they’d hoped for.

“Octavian!” The leader of the Fifth Cohort shouted, “We have new orders.”

Dollar Store Apollo’s eye twitched, or apparently his name was Octavian, “Orders? From who? Not from me!” He looked about as unstable as the Imperial gold ammunition he’d used in the onagers.

“From Reyna,” he said, loud enough for everyone in the First Cohort to hear, “She’s ordered us to stand down.” 

Upon closer inspection of the boy before him, Will noted with some amusement the cherry red stain of his lips, like he’d drank too much kool aid. 

“Reyna?” Octavian laughed, “You mean the outlaw I sent you to arrest? The  _ ex _ - _ praetor _ who conspired to betray her own people with this  _ Graecus _ ?” He jabbed a bony finger in Nico’s chest, “You’re taking orders from her?”

The Fourth Cohort formed up behind their centurion, uneasily facing their comrades.

The leader of the Fifth Cohort stood his ground, “Reyna is the praetor until voted otherwise by the Senate.” 

“This is war!” Octavian cried, “I’ve brought you to the brink of ultimate victory and you want to give up?!” He turned to the group behind him, “First Cohort, arrest Centurion Dakota and any who stand with him. Fifth Cohort, remember your vows to Rome and the legion. You will obey  _ me _ !”

Will shook his head in equal parts disbelief and frustration, “Don't do this, Octavian. Don’t force your people to choose. This is your last chance.”

“ _ My _ last chance?” Octavian grinned wickedly, “I will SAVE ROME!” He roared, “Now Romans, follow my orders! Arrest Dakota. Destroy these  _ Grarcus  _ scum. And reload those onagers!” 

At that moment, Camp Half-Blood erupted onto Half-Blood Hill. Clarisse La Rue rode in the lead on a red war chariot pulled by metal horses. A hundred demigods fanned out around her, with twice as many satyrs and nature spirits led by Grover Underwood. Tyson lumbered with six other cyclops. Chiron trotted up to them with his bow drawn. 

It would have been a reassuring sight, except for one thing. They were trying to avoid the battle to begin with. 

“Romans! You have fired on our camp! Withdraw or be destroyed!” Clarisse yelled, raising her spear above her head. 

Octavian turned quickly to his troops, “You see? It was a trick! They’ve divided us so they can launch a surprise attack. Legion,  _ cuneum formate _ ! CHARGE!” 

* * *

Hey guys, I also sort of do art and stuff? Check me out on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com), and feel free to send me a message or ask!


	4. Chapter 4

Will could safely say that this situation wasn’t good. He scanned the now fastly approaching Greeks, then he scanned the Romans who were conflicted over whether they were defending or attacking. There had to be  _ something  _ they could do to put a halt to the chaos before it spiraled out of hand.

Cold hard fear gripped Will’s heart. He couldn't let this be like the Titan War. The amount of kids who died in the fight. The amount of lifeless campers faces that would forever haunt his dreams with the constant battle of  _ what ifs _ .

He locked eyes on Nico’s panicked expression, eyes looking to the Greek troops with horror.

Will didn’t want this to end like the Titan War. He didn’t want Nico to leave without a trace again. 

He didn’t want Nico to leave  _ for good _ .

That was when something caught Will’s attention from the corner of his eye and he locked on to it. Immediately, he knew what he had to do.

With as much power as he could muster, Will put his fingers to his mouth and did a taxicab whistle even louder than the last. Troops from both sides faltered, with some Greeks even dropping their weapons, and sent a ripple through the entire First Cohort making them shudder.

Will took a deep breath, “DON’T BE STUPID!” he shouted and pointed north, “LOOK!”

The sight really was beautiful. The Athena Parthenos glowing in the sunrise, being flown in from the coast, suspended from the tethers of six pegasus. Some Roman eagles swooped in to help carry the cables while others circled overhead. 

A girl, who Will could only assume was Reyna, flew in on the back of Guido with her sword held high. She had a purple cloak billowing behind her, which shimmered in the sunlight making her seam every bit the savior that she was. 

Both armies were too stunned to do anything as the forty foot tall gold and ivory statue came in for a landing, settling on Half-Blood Hill about twenty feet from Thalia's tree.

“GREEK DEMIGODS!” her voice boomed across the crowds, “Behold your most sacred statue, The Athena Parthenos, wrongly taken by the Romans. I return it to you now as a gesture of peace!”

Will couldn’t exactly explain it, but at the sight of the statue, it was almost like a blanket of security and safety draped over the armies.

Guido came in for a landing right in front of the statue, “Romans!” Reyna called as she faced her troops, “I do this for the good of the legion, the good of Rome. We must stand together with our Greek brethren!”

“Listen to her!” Nico stepped up, looking almost surprised he’d said anything at all, “Reyna risked her life for all of you!” 

_ And so did you. _ Will thought.

“We brought this statue halfway across the world, Roman and Greek working together, because we  _ must _ join forces. Gaea is rising. If we don’t work together--

_ YOU WILL DIE. _

The earth shook as this voice spoke out. With it, the feeling of peace and security was sweeped away in the wind. With a sense of dread, Will’s shoes felt as though they were being tethered to the ground by the grass. 

_ A FUTILE GESTURE. _

The voice boomed like a rockslide tumbling around them, the sound reverberating through the ground and shook Will to his bones. With a morbid sense of humor only a demigod on the cusp of death could experience, Will thought  _ ‘Good day to take a long walk of a short pier.’  _

_ BUT IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, YOU MAY DIE TOGETHER. _

“No…” Octavian began to scramble backwards, “No, no…” He broke and ran, pushing his way through his troops.

“CLOSE RANKS!” Reyna yelled. Her pegasus was shuffling nervously as he looked around trying to locate the source of that voice, like he was looking to see it and fly in the other direction.

The Greeks and Romans joined ranks, shoulder to shoulder as they realized that they were a small blip in the sea of monsters that surrounded them.

No matter what they did now, it was a fruitless effort. The seven demigods, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank. Did this mean what Will feared it meant?

Had they lost them?

* * *

As usual, I do have a [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)! 

Also the next chapter will probably be up tomorrow afternoon! So stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this what it's like to have some creative freedom when I write?

So to put things bluntly: all Hades broke loose. Almost as soon as Gaea’s voice stopped, a loud booming crack sound exploded across the sky like Zeus himself just slapped something into orbit. 

Panic surged Will’s system as he watched people all around him running and shouting. His ears were ringing and all he could hear now was the sound of his heart beat in his ears followed by white noise.

Looking downward, he could see the grass wrapping itself around Will’s shoes. Looking upwards was even more of a crazy sight, the Argo II was catapulting across the sky in a blaze of fiery glory. With a spark of hope, he could see Hazel being carried by an eagle flying away from the ship. Soon followed by Jason carrying Piper. But where was Leo? Or Frank?

Will was told all kinds of stories by Coach Henge. He knew a lot about the adventures the Argo II crew had been on. Working in the camp infirmary has its perks. Like when Mellie was in for a checkup and Henge called via Iris message. Or just Mellie relaying information she’d been told to Will in general. 

Gods of Olympus, was it really just too much to ask for a simple summer? No wars? No life or death prophecies? No Mother Earth out to seek the end of the world?

Can he not just enjoy a nice afternoon, sitting around with friends, having ice pops or something like that? 

Mother of Zeus why does being a demigod have to be such a chore.

The ringing in Will’s ears went down and he felt his brain start to switch gears. The middle of a battlefield is  _ not _ the place to be disassociating.

What really brought him back into focus was the fingers snapping in his face.

“Solace!” It was Nico, who was starting to get impatient, “Get it together, we have to  _ move _ .”

“Oh, right.” 

Will was relieved to find running was a lot easier with the earth pulling at his feet than he thought. Definitely not the ideal situation, but not a game stopper.

Nico was gone quicker than Will had expected. Which was  _ fine _ . At least that’s what Will hoped.

He  _ hoped _ Nico wouldn’t do anything stupid. But Nico was Nico, and apparently he didn’t  _ care _ if he died doing something pointlessly stupid.

Will pulled out his knife and got to work himself cutting through hordes of monsters. Fighting wasn’t Will’s strong suit, but hell if he still couldn't put up a fight regardless. 

He was still a demigod at the end of the day.

_ “The whole world is my body,” somewhere to his far right Will had no doubt Gaea had emerged, “how would you fight the goddess of—“ _

A sound of a heavy impact shook the ground. Will turned and saw the goddess being swept away by a large metal dragon. Will has never been so relieved to see Festus back to his former glory, and gods be damned! It was Leo! He was ok! He was alive!

Will fought with renewed vigor, only having gotten minor cuts along his arms so far. 

But as soon as he thought that, of course  _ something  _ had to go wrong. Mid attack, Will wasn’t quick enough to dodge a swipe of claws from an empousa that tore the sleeve of his shirt and cut four clean claw marks across his left bicep.

It was one on one, between Will and the monster.

“Do you really think he could ever like someone like you?” Her words were honey sweet and latched onto his mind, “You’re nothing.” She snarled, “You’re weak.” 

She went in for another strike at his left arm, but Will was quick to block and push back this time.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Will spat back.

“A son of Hades, one of the most powerful demigods,” she circled around him and Will’s heart sank, “what could you possibly offer for him?”

Will knew she was trying to mess with him and get him off guard. He was furious. His arm was bleeding and the gashes stung like crazy. He couldn’t deal with this psychological game she was playing.

Of course Will knew all these things. He knew he wasn’t enough. He’d always felt like like that. And somehow, she knew just what to say to rub salt in the wound.

“You cannot fight,” she struck and almost pulled the knife from Will’s hands, “You cannot defend yourself” she struck again, “All you can do is heal.” 

“You think I don’t know that?!” Will shouted as he lashed out at her, “I know I’m nothing special, I know I’m not enough, I know who I am and what I can do!” He started to push back against her, but he was livid. He wasn’t thinking in strategy. He wouldn’t be able to hold her back much longer, and he knew it.

His arm was dripping with blood, his heart hurt, and he couldn't deal with this right now!

“He’ll leave you the first chance he can get. He abandoned you in the middle of a battle knowing full well you weren’t a fighter.” She knocked the knife from Will’s hands, “You mean  _ nothing—“ _

The empousa's words were cut short by an arrow embedding itself in her forehead. She exploded into a burst of gold dust and blew away with the wind. 

“Will!” He turned to see his sister Kayla running towards him, “My gods, Will are you ok?”

Will finally had a moment to look at his arm, and gods it looked horrible. Of course he knew once he cleaned up the blood, the wound was probably not as bad as it seemed. But right now, his stomach couldn’t handle looking at it. 

“Ahh, it’s just a flesh wound.” He looked up to his sister, who looked like she’d been through hell and back, but still every bit the powerhouse that she was.

Her eyes were full of concern, “Just a flesh would? Will you don’t look well—“

“Thanks for the pep talk,” Will retrieved his knife from the ground. There wasn’t any time for chitchat, much like Nico had said earlier.

“Will, what did she—“

“I’m fine!” He didn’t mean to snap like that. Kayla looked hurt, “I’m sorry. I just—“ Will quickly blocked a sword that was swung at his sister, “just-not now. Please.” 

They began to fight side by side. This time, Will wasn't entirely alone. His sister had his back. His siblings would always be there for him. That in an of itself was enough to keep Will going. For now, adrenaline kept him moving, allowed him to forget about the stinging in his arm which was just fine. 

He made his way through the fight, when his eyes locked on Octavian struggling to lift ammunition onto an onager. 

Gods damn it, what is with this man? People are fighting for their lives against monsters  _ he _ let get this close to camp. He can’t seriously be thinking about attacking Camp Half-Blood again while Gaea is literally fighting right overhead?

Will quickly scanned the crowd, and by gods thanked Apollo for his good luck. Not 20 feet away from him, Nico stood shoulder to shoulder with Jason. 

“Go to Nico, stop whatever Octavian is doing.” Kayla gave him a reassuring nod before nudging Will in the right direction.

“Thank you.” He said before he started to run.

Will weaved his way through the crowd towards the son of Hades.

“Nico!” That got his attention as he got close enough to get his help.

“Octavian.” Will was breathing heavy.

Nico’s eyes grew wide, “Where?”

“Come on,” Will turned in the right direction, “Hurry.”

The scene around them was complete and utter chaos. Tyson and the other cyclops were fighting the cynocephali, shouting “Bad dog, bad!” While clobbering them over the heads.

Grover Underwood and the other satyrs were playing a tune so horrid on their panpipes, the earth shelled ghosts cracked apart. 

Travis Stoll ran past shouting at his brother, “What do you  _ mean _ we set the land mines on the wrong hill?” And if that didn’t instill confidence Will didn’t know  _ what  _ would. 

It was crazy to think Nico had completely missed the battle overhead, but when he stopped running and froze, Will had to backpedal some.

“What—how—?” He stammered.

“Leo,” Will said, “But I doubt there’s much we can do about  _ that _ . We have other problems.”

As they approached the nearest onager, they could see Octavian had successfully loaded the projectile and was fumbling with the controls. He ran around furiously adjusting the trajectory while tripping over gears and anchor spikes.

“Octavian!” Nico shouted as they stopped before the auger.

The boy spun around, then backed up against the huge sphere of ammunition. His purple robes snagged on the trigger rope, but he didn’t seam to notice.

“Oh I see!” His laughter was bittersweet, “Trying to steal the glory, eh?” He arched a brow, “No, no, son of Pluto. I am the savior of Rome. I was promised!” 

As much as Will hated the guy, he couldn’t let him just launch himself into the air strapped to an explosive. 

“Octavian, get away from the onager. That isn’t safe.” He raised his hands in a placating gesture. 

“Of course it’s not!” He shouted, “I will shoot Gaea down with this machine!” 

“You see?” Octavian threw his hands up towards the fight, “The gods approve of my actions!”

Will watched as Jason carried Piper into the sky towards Gaea, shrouded in his own thunder storm.

Will watched on with horror as Octavian jewelry began to smoke. Refined Imperial gold next to raw Imperial gold was a bad mixture. 

“Jason is making that storm,” Nico pointed his sword towards Octavian, “If you fire the Onager, you’ll kill him, and Piper, and—“

“Good!” Octavian cut Nico off with a wicked grin, “They’re traitors! All traitors!”

“Listen to me,” Will tried desperately to reason with him, “This is  _ not _ what Apollo would want.” Octavian sneered at the comment but Will continued, “Besides, your robes are—“

“You know nothing, Graecus!” Octavian gripped the release lever, “I must act before they get any higher. Only an onager such as this can make the shot. I will single handedly—“

“Centurion,” said a voice from behind him.

One of Octavian’s men appeared from the back of the siege engine. He had a large red welt on his forehead, and he stumbled as he walked.

“Michael!” Octavian shrieked with glee, “Excellent! Guard me while I fire this onager. Then we will kill these  _ Graeci  _ together!”

Michael took in the scene—his boss’s robes tangled in the trigger rope, Octavian's gold jewelry fuming from the proximity to the Imperial Gold ammunition. He looked upwards at the dragon, now high in the air, surrounded by rings of storm clouds which oddly enough, formed circles around the dragon like an archery target. 

He then turned to scowl down at the two of them. Gods he _had_ to warn his leader to step away, the fool was about to get himself killed!

“Are you certain, Octavian?” He asked.

“Yes!”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes, you fool! I will be remembered as the savior of Rome. Now keep them away while I destroy Gaea!”

“Octavian, don’t,” Will tried to warn him again, “We can’t allow you—“

“Will,” Nico said, still looking forward, “we can’t stop him.”

Will’s blood ran cold. Nico couldn’t be serious? They couldn’t let Octavian die like this, he was a bad guy, but this was overboard.

Octavian's eyes gleamed, “That’s right, son of Pluto. You’re helpless to stop me! It is my destiny! Kahale, stand guard!”

“As you wish.” Michael moved in between them and the machine, “Centurion, do what you must.”

Octavian gave Nico and Will a smug smile, “A good friend to the last.”

The more this went on, the more Will realized that it wasn’t just Octavian being put into danger. It was Leo, Jason and Piper as well. That upset him way more than Octavian’s definite death. 

“Good-bye Gaea!” Octavian yelled, “Goodbye, Jason Grace the traitor!” 

Then he released the wire with his augers knife. And just like that, he disappeared.

The catapult arm swung forward quicker than Will’s eyes could follow. The auger was truly gone.

_ Goodbye Dollar Store Apollo. _ Will thought morbidly. 

“Goodbye, Octavian.” Michael said. He glared at the two boys as if daring them to speak. Neither said anything.

Michael walked away like nothing happened, marching forward into the chaos that was currently Half-Blood Hill.

Both Will and Nico watched as the comet gained altitude, hearts beating heavy as it came closer and closer to Gaea. Towards Leo, Jason and Piper. 

Then with a fiery explosion, the sky exploded into a dome of fire. 

Will watched as Jason and Piper flew away safely. But his heart sank as he waited for Leo to appear. 

And he didn’t. 

“Sorry.” Nico almost whispered. 

Will turned his head towards the son of Hades, and was briefly shocked when he saw Nico was looking at the gouges across Will’s arm, and wasn’t apologizing for letting Octavian kill himself. 

“You aren’t a fighter,” Will bristled at the comment, “I shouldn’t have—“

“Don’t.” Will snapped. Which surprised the shorter boy.

Without another word or glance in his direction, Will jogged back into the chaos, hoping to seek out Jason and Piper to see if they were ok. And hopefully to gain some clarity about Leo.

He couldn’t stand around and have more people tell him he was weak. 

There were some things Will _could_ do, after all. 

He was a damn good medic. 

* * *

fine me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com) ⊂( ・ ̫・)⊃

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the chapters move on, I'm excited to get the chance to actually explore Will's character. Up until now, I've been following the chapters in Blood of Olympus pretty constantly. I did change up some things, which will play out for the story later on when I get to writing how the two end up getting together. 
> 
> And plus, who doesn't love a little angst?
> 
> I like the dynamic of having Nico: the shorter boy who is a ferrel power house, and then Will: the taller buff boy who's a kind healer and can't really fight for shit :-/
> 
> You can absolutely try and fight me on this, but you won't win.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason is a good friend, and Will needs time to just grieve.

The next day gave Will flashbacks to the Titan War. The infirmary was packed with injured campers, most of which were in very bad shape.

Gods why did being a demigod have to be so messed up? Kids died for the sake of their godly parents, like they were nothing but canon fodder to them. Did they even notice that their kids had died? Did they even care? 

At least this time, Will wasn’t almost alone with the infirmary stuff. He had his brothers and sisters there with him after they’d been healed enough to help. He had Romans there to help him as well. 

Will was such a hypocrite, too. 

Lecturing his patients about staying healthy and taking care of themselves while they recovered from their injuries; when Will hardly gave notice of the four large gashes on his left bicep. He didn’t want to think about them. He couldn’t sit around feeling pity for himself about it either.

The campers needed him. 

The first night while the deceased were wrapped in shrouds and burned, both Roman and Greek demigods gathered to mourn their lost friends. Will was stuck in the infirmary helping tend to a Roman who’s lost their leg in battle. There was no reattaching that could be done, the leg was missing entirely. Quite literally  _ lost _ in battle. They would no doubt have to be fitted for a prosthetic. But at least he was  _ alive _ .

Will had to keep it together. He didn’t even have time to grieve the loss of his friends with the rest of them, and Leo was one of his best friends here at camp. 

He remembered giving the son of Hephaestus a tour around camp. How often he would be in the infirmary due to some crazy stupid injury he’d gotten while building the Argo II. 

He remembered that one time Leo woke him up in the middle of the night by letting a little robotic mouse loose in the Apollo cabin because he stupidly sprained his wrist trying to lift a steel beam that was four times his size and needed help.

Just plain old Leo shenanigans.

Ones he would never have again.

On day two, Jason stopped by the infirmary to get a few long but shallow cuts on his leg healed. Will suspected Jason came by for something more than that, though. The son of Zeus was always thoughtful like that, so unlike his father. 

He sat on the bed while Will took out disinfectant and bandaging from a cabinet above the sink.

Jason sat quietly while he watched Will.

“For a doctor, you should take better care of yourself.” He finally said.

Will gave him an annoyed look over his shoulder, “It’s nothing. I need to attend to more dire cases than a few cuts across my arm.”

“Like cleaning and healing a few cuts on my leg?” Jason countered, raising an eyebrow.

As Will finally got what he was looking for, he turned to the other blond and looked annoyed.

“Now you’re starting to sound like Cecil, stop that.” He moved to sit on a stool in front of Jason.

“It’s true.” Jason continued, “You need to take care of yourself. And let yourself grieve too.”

Jason knew Leo was his friend.

“You haven’t left the infirmary since the battle ended,” he gave Will a sympathetic look, “We’re worried about you.” 

Gods damn this boy, Will was fighting to keep it together. He couldn’t break down, not right now. Not while there were still so many campers around who could see him. He had to be the level headed one here, he was their rock. 

“Please..” Will’s voice was fragile, “Please not here…”

Jason put his hand on Will’s shoulder, “I talked with Kayla and Austin. You need to leave the infirmary for at least a few minutes. If you keep going like this you’ll kill yourself.”

“I can’t just leave, I’m the best medic here, I need to help—“

“I expect this level of defiance from Nico, not from a doctor.”

Will flushed, he didn’t know what to say to that exactly.

“I’m technically not a doctor, so…” Will said lamely.

“All the more reason to get some fresh air.” Jason doubled down.

Will sprayed his would with, perhaps, a little more disinfectant that was really necessary. Jason winced.

“I promised Kayla I’d drag you out of the infirmary.” Jason leveled Will with a no nonsense tone Will was used to giving to others. He’d never been on the receiving end of it, so he looked stunned for a moment. 

Then Will’s expression went neutral as he thought things over. Of course Kayla would say something. She’d seen him during the fight. She knew him the best out of all his siblings. 

But the more Will thought about it, the more it made sense. He was being obstinate. He was being a hypocrite by not taking care of himself, and he wouldn’t be any help to anyone if he continued to work like this.

“Fine.” He eventually found himself saying as he finished bandaging up Jason’s leg. 

“Ok good,” Jason stood up and reached his hand out to Will to pull him up, “We’re going on a walk.”

“Wait—what—now?” 

“Yeah, Kayla is waiting to take your spot,” he pointed over to Will's sister who smiled innocently back at him when he gave her a look like  _ ‘You sneaky little weasel’  _

“Of course she is.” Will sighed before taking Jason’s hand. He stood up, but made it very clear he wasn’t happy about it. 

Jason lead Will to a more secluded walking trail in Camp-Half Blood. They still had a good view of the strawberry fields and beach, but was just far enough away to not hear all the hustle and bustle from down below. It was a spot we’re one could see everything, and still be pretty much unnoticeable.

They came to a stop at the top of a hill. The area looked like a weird rock formation surrounded by trees. Jason stopped to climb up one of the rocks and sit on top, and Will thought  _ ‘What the hell, why not?’ _ And joined him.

_ ‘I wonder if this was the hill the Stoll brothers accidentally put the landmines on?”  _ Will thought morbidly. How ironic would it be to survive a war batting hoards of monsters, disoriented Romans, and the literal earth; only to get nerfed two days later by a misplaced landmine?

“When we first got back from rescuing Hera from the Wolf House, Piper and I found this spot. Coming up here helps me think.”

Will snorted, “You and Piper? Did you bring me up here to try and schmooze me?” He joked. 

Jason looked flustered, “Um no—“

Will waved it off, “Just kidding.” He sighed, “It’s a pretty nice spot though.” Will absently started picking at a loose thread on his shirt, while he tried to think.

He and Jason were never really close, not that there was a reason for it. He was a nice guy, he played things safe when he could, and generally never got into any trouble. Their paths just didn’t cross as much, like him and Leo's did. 

Jason wasn’t a frequent visitor to the infirmary. Jason was smart. Jason never got into accidents involving fire and explosives. 

Fire and explosives. 

Leo…

For the first time since the battle ended, Will felt the sting of tears begin to prickle in his eyes. 

“So Leo, he’s really—“ Will felt his throat close before he could say the big four letter word. 

Saying that he was  _ dead _ hurt so much more than just hearing it or thinking it. Words did have power. And sure  _ hearing  _ it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Saying it would finally hammer home the point. If he said it, he would be admitting it. It would be a fact. There would be no denying it. 

“He’s,” Jason’s expression tightened, “We scouted the entirety of Long Island. Percy got some dryads and hippocampi to help comb the ocean as far as 100 miles out in case something got swept away with the tide. We couldn’t find anything.”

“That idiot.” Will wasn't sure if he said it about Leo, Octavian, Nico or himself. 

Maybe all four?

Leo made the stupid plan, Octavian made the plan  _ worse _ , and Nico and Will just stood on the sidelines and let it happen. What if he’s tried harder to get Octavian to see reason? 

Yet another ‘ _ what if?’  _ statement that would be added to the ever growing list in Will’s brain. 

“Hazel and Frank knew about Leo’s plan.” Jason said, “It’s not their fault, and I keep telling myself that they didn’t want to believe it would end the way it did.” The son of Zues sighed, “But I can’t get that thought of, if I’d known about it, we could have done things differently.

“But Leo is Leo. He knew what he was doing, and I can’t fault Frank and Hazel for his decision.” 

“But the ‘ _ what if’s’  _ wont leave your head.” Will looked at Jason from the corner of his eye with sympathy. 

The son of Zues nodded, “We can’t even find him or Festus.” Jason’s eyes were fixed on the horizon line of the ocean, “I feel like this is all just some dumb prank, and Leo will come flying in on Festus, throw a few jokes about coming back from the dead, and laugh it off.”

The sob that left Will’s body took both boys off guard. It was like suddenly, the dam holding everything Will had been bottling up just broke, despite his best efforts. Tears that had been threatening to pour over for days now streamed down his face as he finally cried. 

Will hunched forward and buried his face in his hands. He was gone. Leo was dead. He was never coming back.

They didn't even have a body to wrap in a shroud and burn, couldn’t even properly give him his burial rights. 

Jason’s hand came up to rub circles on Will’s back. Gods Will hated crying. He hated feeling weak in front of others. But he supposed, out of anyone, Jason was a good enough person that he wouldn’t judge him for it. 

“That stupid, idiotic, selfless, heroic bastard—“ Will took in a breath of air, “It’s just like him to pull a stunt like this. Going out in a blaze of glory to save everyone.” Will rubbed his eyes as his crying started to lessen.

He finally raised his head to look Jason in the eyes. Tears were running down Jason’s face as well, the son of Zues gave a bitter smile, “That’s our Leo for you.”

“If he were here I swear on Olympus I would smack him upside the head.” Will huffed, finally getting his emotions more stable.

“Coming from a healer,” Jason closed his eyes and wiped the tears from his face, “It’s really funny. I would definitely have a few choice words for him, that’s for sure.”

Will suddenly felt so gods damned drained and tired. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and he found himself slouching and resting the side of his head on Jason’s shoulder. 

“Why does crying have to be so exhausting?” Will mumbled.

Jason sighed, “I don’t know,” he patted Will on the back, “But I think it’s time you took a nap. When’s the last time you slept?”

“Uhhhhhhh..” Will didn’t want to admit that it was two days ago. And that he’d been running on multiple cups of black coffee and a ham sandwich. 

And the fact that it was already nearing dinner time meant it was almost a full 48 hours.

Jason gave him an unimpressed look, “Ok yeah, you’re going to bed.” He hopped off the rock and held out his hand to pull Will from his place.

Will didn’t even protest. He grasped Jason’s hand and slid down from his perch feeling like life had drained from his body.

Neither boy spoke the entire walk back to the Apollo cabin, which was just fine with Will since he was too exhausted to really have a filter and would likely say something stupid.

As Will approached the door, Jason spoke up one last time.

“Also, don’t worry about Nico.” Will froze, “I know he can be reckless, but we’re all keeping an eye on him.

“He has this idea that once everything settles down, he’s gonna leave for good, right?”

Will turned to Jason with a look of hurt, “Yeah…”

“I’m going to talk with him. He’s being stupid, and someone’s gotta smack some sense into him.”

Will wasn’t quite sure how to respond. He’d been actively avoiding thinking about Nico. He didn’t want to think about him leaving. He liked him so much, and at the very least wanted to be his friend.

He couldn’t take another heartbreak, not right now.

He surprised both of them by pulling Jason into a hug, “Thank you.” He mumbled.

Jason hugged him back, “He’s an idiot. But he’s our idiot.”

Will laughed. The first real, genuine laugh he’d had since the battle.

He pulled away from Jason, “I’m gonna take a nap now. Tell Kayla or Austin to wake me up before dinner?”

“Will do.” Jason smiled.

And with that, Will walked into the Apollo cabin and passed out.

He couldn’t even bring himself to get mad at Kayla and Austin when they didn’t wake him up before dinner. They’d woken him up around midnight with food, and some ambrosia for his arm. 

Will ate like he’d haven’t had anything to eat in 2 days. Which was partially true. Then once more, he passed out. This time for the rest of the night. 

Why did being a demigod have to be so exhausting?

* * *

Fine me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun with this chapter! I actually got to write something for this that wasn't written on the backbone of what happens in canon in BoO, and next chapter will have a lot more of that as well!
> 
> On a very unrelated note, I would kill for a Twix bar right now. It's not important to anyone here, but that's all I could think about when writing this chapter.
> 
> See yah probably tomorrow!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico acts reasonable for once in his god damn life.

On the third morning after the battle with Gaea, Will woke up in his cabin actually feeling like a person and not an earth shelled ghost that would be haunting the camp infirmary.

His siblings were getting dressed and ready for no doubt, another long day tending to patients. 

This was also the day the Romans would begin their long journey across the country back to New Rome. The day Will feared would be the last time he’d see Nico. 

That would be if he even saw the son of Hades before he slipped away. He hadn't seen Nico as all since the war ended, and was really starting to worry he was avoiding him.

“Kayla,” Will asked as he flattened out the wrinkles in the blankets on his bed, “I’m gonna go right to the infirmary—“

“ _Will—_ “

“Don’t worry, I’m feeling better after my talk with Jason. Thank you, by the way. I needed that.

“But I was gonna ask if you could bring me some breakfast when you have time to stop by?”

Kayla gave him a skeptical look before eventually deciding her brother was being genuine. She pulled Will into a hug, “Of course.”

Before she left, she gave him a stern look, “Don’t overdo it, I mean it Will.”

“I won’t.” He promised, raising his hands in a placating gesture. 

“Good.”

She stepped out of the cabin and Will was alone. He got out his clothes for the day, trying his hardest to not think about Nico. Gods he wanted him to stay here at camp so badly. He wanted to be his friend, to actually show the son of Hades that there were people out there who _want_ to be around him.

Even if Nico couldn’t reciprocate Will’s feelings, being friends with him was still a pretty damn great place to be. 

Once he got changed and slipped his feet into a pair of flip flops, Will pushed open the door of the Apollo cabin and took in the bright sunshine, the perfect temperature with a sea breeze, the smell of strawberries, the smell of _home._

From across the way, Will saw him.

Nico was having a conversation with Jason, and a pang of hope shot through his heart. Gods please, Jason talk some sense into him.

Nico seemed to be in a good mood, which was a great sign. He was gesturing animatedly as he spoke, then gave Jason a deadpanned stair before being pulled into a hug by the taller boy.

Despite his discomfort with physical contact, Nico still seemed to be in a good mood. Will had a hopeful smile on his face, and for a moment Will even forgot to be mad at the son of Hades for avoiding him for the past two days.

Then Nico looked around at the cabins, and his eyes landed on Will. The son of Apollo gave him a stern look and gestured Nico over. The other boy said something to Jason before walking over.

Jason followed Nico’s gaze and caught sight of Will. He smiled and gave the son of Apollo a little nod and thumbs up.

For a second, Will’s stern frown flickered to a small smile.

“So where were you?” Will demanded as soon as Nico was within earshot shot. 

Nico looked vaguely surprised, “What do you mean?” 

“I’ve been stuck in the infirmary for like, two days.” Will raised two fingers to emphasize his point, “You don’t come by. You don’t offer to help.”

Now Nico just looked confused, “I… What?” His brows knit together, “Why would you want a son of Hades in the same room as people you’re trying to heal?” He gestured with his hands, “Why would anyone want that?”

“You can’t help out a _friend_?” Will emphasized the word friend to further drive home the fact that Nico really did have people who wanted him here, “Maybe cut some bandages? Bring me a soda or a snack? Or just a simple _‘How's it going, Will?’_ You don’t think I could stand to see a friendly face?” 

Now Nico was definitely confused, “What... _my_ face?”

Will shook his head, “You’re so dense. I hope you got over that nonsense about leaving Camp Half-Blood.” He jabbed Nico in the chest with a finger.

Nico gently pushed it away, but surprisingly didn’t take his hand away from Will's or get defensive like he might have two days prior.

“I—yeah. I did.” Then Nico shook his head, “I mean, I’m staying.”

“Good.” Will dropped his hand with a small blush forming on his cheeks, “So you may be dense, but you’re not an idiot.”

Nico’s confusion stayed, but his brows knit together with mild irritation, “How can you even talk to me like that? Don’t you know I can summon zombies and skeletons and—“

With a snort, Will cut him off. “Right now you couldn’t summon a wishbone without melting into a puddle of darkness, Di Angelo.” 

‘ _That’s right Nico. I’m not afraid of you.’_

“I told you, no more Underworld-y stuff, doctor’s orders.” Nico’s irritation turned to disbelief, “You owe me at least three days of rest in the infirmary. Starting _now_.”

The son of Hades blushed, “Three days? I—I suppose that would be ok.”

A small smile formed on Will’s lips, “Good. Now—“

A loud _whoop!_ cut through the air. 

Over by the hearth in the center of the common area, Percy was grinning at something Annabeth had just told him. She laughed and playfully slapped his arm.

Will couldn’t quite place the expression on Nico’s face, but he remembered the rumors that Nico had run away because he had a crush on Annabeth. A small pang of dread, and maybe jealousy went through Will’s heart as he realized Nico looked conflicted.

“I’ll be right back,” Nico turned away from Will and started in the direction of the hearth, “Promis on the Styx and everything.”

Will watched Nico walk away, then turned to see if Jason was still where he was last. He was, but this time Jason was talking with Hazel, the two of them gave Will a strange look. 

Nothing bad. It was more a positive, knowing look. For a brief moment, Will worried that his crush on Nico was too obvious. Would the son of Hades notice? Would he be uncomfortable that Will was gay?

Gods he hadn’t thought that much about his sexuality being a problem lately, but what if Nico was homophobic? He was from a much later time period, between WWI and WWII. 

_‘Gods please don’t be a homophobe.’_ Will thought. 

Nico returned with a dumb smile on his face, “Ok now we can go.”

“What was that about?” Will didn’t really intend on saying anything, but it came out anyways.

He expected Nico to shut down and get defensive, but apparently Nico was full of surprises this morning.

“Just had to get something off my chest.” the two boys started in the direction of the infirmary, “Needed closure on something.” He shrugged.

Will didn’t want to push his luck and ask why, so he only nodded, “That’s good to hear.”

Despite how difficult the last two days had been for Will, he was actually starting to feel in good spirits. It was nice, and he was so grateful for Jason and Kayla for giving him the boot to get some space from the depressing chaos that was the infirmary.

Things would be ok.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for the short chapter, but this finally marks the end of following the book! Off to bigger and better things! Off to those three days spent in the infirmary! And many more after!
> 
> Also I still haven't gotten a Twix bar, the situation is dire.


	8. Infirmary day 1: Of Stoll's and Landmines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day one bonding moments get interrupted by demigods being idiots.

All things considered, the infirmary could have been way worse. With the Romans leaving, there were significantly less campers here, and most of them were just there for checkups. 

Jason stopped by while Will was busy checking on the healing process of Clarisse’s broken arm. 

She was giving Kayla a hard time about the healing process and how long it was taking, but calmed down significantly when Will came by to de-escalate the tension between the two. 

Just by touching Clarisse’s arm, he could locate in his mind the exact areas her ulna and radius had broken. That was one thing his other siblings couldn’t do, and he took pride in that. 

Lucky for her, it was a clean break so they had no issue setting the bones and casting her arm. With the help of some ambrosia, her healing process was much quicker than it would take a regular human. But regardless it would still take  _ time _ .

“The bones have started to heal, but if you push yourself you’ll make it worse. We’d have to reset the bones and the process will start all over again. If you stay patient for the next week, it should be good as new.” Will explained.

With Will’s medical abilities, he also had the ability to radiate a calming aura. In a way, it was kind of like charm speak. Only without words. All it did was calm people down, which worked wonders when dealing with demigods with severe injuries. When they panicked and freaked out, helping them was a lot harder.

Like setting a bone, for example. It was way easier when the patient wasn’t wailing and writhing in pain. A still and calm patient was easier to work with.

“So I still have to wait a week?” Clarisse was still ready to argue, as most of the Ares cabin, she didn’t take being hindered by anything, let alone be told what to do. 

“Unfortunately. That's nature with broken bones.” Will explained, “You’re lucky it was your arm and not your ribs or hip. Gods forbid your spine or head. This will heal much quicker.” 

Kayla watched on with amazement as he talked Clarisse down from aggressive to mildly annoyed.

“Ok.” Clarisse said plainly, “I guess that’ll be fine.”

‘ _ It better be,’ _ Will thought, ‘ _ you have no choice in the matter.’ _

“Feel free to come back if it starts hurting too bad. I can give you something for the pain. Other than that, I’d say you’re good to go.”

Once Clarisse left the infirmary, Kayla sighed, “Gods that was way more stressful than it needed to be.” She collapsed into the chair beside the bed, “I thought she was gonna take my head off.” 

“She’ll be fine. I’m sorry it got to that point. Glad I could help.” Will said while he picked through her files and wrote down a slip for pain medication prescription. He’d paper clip the slip to the front of her file in case Clarisse came by while he wasn’t here. It’ll save his siblings a whole lot of hassle.

“I have a slip for recommended painkillers for her, along with dosage.” He passed the stack to Kayla, “Just in case she comes back when I’m not around.”

Kayla smiled at her brother, “Much appreciated. If she comes back, the sooner we can send her off the better. I like my head where it is.”

Will laughed, “Have either of the Stoll brothers come by yet?”

Kayla shook her head, “No, so I think Connors ankle sprain is healing well. And Travis’s burns on his hands looked almost completely healed when I saw him at breakfast.”

Will took a seat on the bed and looked out the window at the head of it, “Things have died down a lot since the Romans left. So at least we have time to breath.”

Kayla was looking past Will’s shoulder and smirked, “So Nico’s really staying?” she said quietly.

“As far as I know. Nico said this morning he was.” Will couldn’t help the small smile from forming on his lips as he started to twiddle his thumbs.

“You should go check on him.” his sister suggested, “He’s been looking your way since Clarisse started causing a scene.”

A small blush colored Will’s cheeks, “Oh.”

“ _ Go _ .” Kayla nudged his knee.

“Ok, ok.” Will raised his hands in a placating gesture.

He stood up and turned to walk over to where Nico's bed was. The son of Hades sat in the back corner of his bed, which was pressed up against the wall. He rested his head on his hand which was propped up on one knee, his other leg stretched out in front of him with his foot dangling off the side of the bed. 

While he talked with Jason, the boy seemed to get more annoyed over something the blond was saying.

“All I’m saying is it’s worth—“

Nico saw Will approaching and panicked. He cut Jason off mid sentence by throwing his pillow at his friends face.

“Shut up.” The son of Hades quietly hissed.

“Do I want to know?” Will asked as he came to a stop next to where Jason was seated by the bed.

Nico gave the son of Zues a look like  _ ‘Don’t you even think about it.’ _ And Jason just rolled his eyes.

“It’s not important.” Nico mumbled.

Jason looked at the back of his wrist, as if he were checking the time, “It looks like I should be on my way.” He stood up and stretched his arms overhead, “Piper wanted to hang out before dinner.”

As Jason went to leave, he patted Will on the shoulder and gave Nico a  _ ‘Play nice.’ _ Look. 

“See you guys later.”

“By Jason.” Will waved before directing his attention to Nico. The boy was still glaring daggers at his friends retreating back. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

Nico leaned to the side and flopped on the bed, “Still kind of tired, but kind of not?” He sighed. He looked every bit the 14 year old kid that he was. Still pouting and annoyed over his talk with Jason. Not an intimidating child of the big three. Not some edgy loner who avoided people like the plague. Not the boy who spent more time among the dead than the living.

No. Right now, he was a just a regular, moody teenager.

“I’m gonna touch your forehead, is that ok?” Will was aware of Nico's discomfort with physical contact and didn't want to catch him off guard.

Nico looked confused, “Why?”

Will sighed, “I need to see how the darkness is leveling out. It’s a healing thing. I know it sounds weird, but I can tell exactly what’s wrong through physical contact.”

Nico looked almost mystified, “Is that what you did the other day?” He reaches his hand over to Will, “Like any part? That’s kind of cool actually.”

Will sat on the stool by Nico’s bed and slid over to Nico, “It helps me understand a lot more if the part I’m touching is closer to the source of the problem.” Will put his hand on Nico’s, “Like through your hand, I get a sense of the general problem and an idea of where it's source is. 

“Right now, for instance. Through your hand I can sense an almost hollow disconnect your body’s core has with the world around you.” Will moved to rest the back of his hand to Nico’s forehead, “And from here, the part controlling it, I can understand what you need most is a recharge period.

“It’s gotten significantly better since I first touched your hands a few days ago, but it’s still enough to be worried.”

Nico’s eyes widened, “What about the other Apollo kids?”

Will shook his head, “It’s weird, I’m the only one who can do it.”

Nico hummed, “I don’t think it’s so weird. After all, there are some things you can’t do that they can.”

Will inwardly flinched at that.

“There are plenty of things I can do that Hazel can’t, and vice versa.” The son of Hades amended when he realized it was a kind of sore subject for Will.

“She’s incredibly talented as far as geokinesis goes. And controlling the mist. 

“It’s almost like,” Nico hummed as he thought over his words, “Like demigods inherit different facets of their godly parents' powers. Hazel can communicate with the dead, but not really raise them from the ground or…”  Nico hesitated, “Uh, never mind that. But there are definite differences between us.”

“It makes sense.” Will shrugged, “I just hate feeling so useless.”

Nico gave him a disbelieving look, “You can’t be serious.”

“What do you mean?” Will was confused.

“Will, I’ve never seen someone talk Clarisse out of a tantrum that quickly. I think half the camp would be in ruins without you." Nico shook his head, "Sure your siblings can sing a little prayer to your dad and help with the healing process, but nothing even comes close to what I’ve seen you do today in the infirmary.

“Hell you even delivered a  _ baby _ .” Will blushed at the praise. His siblings tried to tell him this many times. But it’s different when you hear things from your family. Having a friend who barely knew you existed till two days ago say it was totally different.

“The thing with Clarisse wasn’t that big.” Will sighed, “I can do this, like, calming aura? Austin and Kayla thinks it has to do with the healing powers. It makes handling ornery patients easier.

“And I get that there are things that I can offer the camp that  _ do _ help. I just hate feeling like a burden?” Will started slowly spinning around on the swivel chair.

‘ _ Stool? Are swivel stools a thing?’ _

“Like two days ago, I was frustrated with myself because I felt like I was more in the way of the others. I’m not much of a fighter. But that’s something I need to learn to be ok with.” Will shrugged his shoulders, “It is what it is. I can help now at least.”

Nico’s eyes locked into the still healing four long claw marks given to him by an empousa during the fight.

“I shouldn’t have—“

“Nico, things happen. It’s nothing serious.” Will cut Nico off before he could continue where he knew this was going, “Plus, Lou Ellen and Cecil got swept away in the chaos too. I’m not the best fighter, but I wouldn’t say I’m helpless. I put myself in that situation.”

Understanding flashed over Nico’s face, “All things considered, I guess we got out ok.” Nico said, “The calming aura is pretty cool though.” The son of Hades looked at the wall, “It’s kind of funny when you think about it.”

Will tilted his head, “What?”

“You’re over here, all calming aura and magic healing hands; and I radiate an aura of death so pungent most people steer clear.”

Will snorted, “Ok lord of darkness,” Nico’s jaw dropped, “You aren’t as intimidating as you think.”

Nico’s brows furrowed, “I’m plenty intimidating.” Will couldn't help but think that the sone of Hades reminded him of an angry kitten.

Will raised his hands, “Ok let me rephrase. Your aura of death has never really scared me. I can hardly tell it’s even there most of the time. You can be plenty intimidating.” Will stopped his spinning and looked at the son of Hades, “You did kick ass during the Titan War." Nico's eyes lit up.

“But right now? Not so much.” Will concluded.

Nico huffed, “Yeah and you’re more intimidating than you think.”

Ok now Will was confused, but Nico only rolled his eyes.

“Dude, you’re the only one aside from Percy, Jason or Annabeth who isn’t afraid to stand up to me. That takes guts.” Nico sat back up and crossed his legs, stretching out his legs.

Will snorted, “Well I have plenty of practice dealing with obstinate people. I work in the infirmary at a camp full of demigods.” He waved his hand dismissively, “We’re all frustrating in our own ways.”

Nico snorted, “Yeah tell me about it—“

“Will!” The son of Apollo jumped and turned to see who was calling him.

The sight was absolutely horrific, “WHAT THE—“ Will shot to his feet, “Travis—Connor—what the hell happened?!”

Kayla and Austin, who were closer to the doors, turned from a conversation they were having and jumped to their feet. They lead the two brothers to the nearest hospital beds before Will even made it over. The two were absolute messes, leaving behind a feint smoke trail.

They were being carried in by Percy and Jason, “Landmines—“ Percy supplied.

“They were on the hill down by the beach.” Jason continued.

Gods damn these two. Thankfully all their limbs were all accounted for. But all up the front of Connor’s left leg and abdomen, his skin was scorched. That probably wasn’t good for his ankle sprain. Scratch that: it _defiantly_ wasn't good for his ankle sprain. 

Gods it looked horrible.

Travis’s arms and chest looked like he tried giving an explosive a hug, his eyebrows were gone and hair was still smoking.

_ ‘ _T_ hose gods damn landmines!’ _

Will was so taken off guard, he didn’t notice Nico tensing up when he locked eyes with Percy, who was giving the son of Hades an odd look.

“Kayla, Austin start cleaning up Connor’s burns, I’ll take Travis.” Will got to work.

Though Connor was no doubt dealing with renewed ankle damage, Will was more concerned with Travis at the moment. Damage done to the upper body, especially around the chest and head, was a big cause for concern. 

“Percy, Jason, could you do me a big favor and try checking the hill for more landmines?” The memory of the brothers saying that they put landmines on the wrong hill came to mind. Will worried there would be more.

“On it!” Percy was quick to duck back out the door.

Jason looked from Nico to the door Percy just jogged out of and looked apprehensive, “Ok,” Jason looked back over to Nico, “I’ll be back.”

Will pressed one hand to Travis’s head, and the other to his chest and closed his eyes. There were definitely fractures in the bottom right two ribs, and a few minor fractures on the second and third rib from the bottom left side. It looked like his right side took most of the damage. He slid his hand from his chest to his right shoulder and arm. His collar bone was broken, and much like Clarisse, his ulna and radius were broken as well. The ulna in one place, radius in two.

He could feel some cranial swelling, a definite concussion, and small fractures on the cheekbones on the right side of his face. Could have been a lot worse, but it felt like Travis had blocked most of the impact with his arms. Still a high concern nonetheless. 

Will opened his eyes, “Mother of Zues.” Will said under his breath as he moved quickly to get some ambrosia, along with disinfectant, gauze, medical tape and a salve for treating the burns.

He set the supplies on a sterilized table with wheels next to the bed, and got to work.

Before he could get Travis to take some ambrosia, he had to heal some of that head trauma so he could actually chew it.

The rest of Will’s afternoon was spent getting Connor and Travis back to a more stable condition. 

Like Will feared, Connor’s ankle sprain was much worse. Along with that, he had fractures through the metatarsals and phalanges, his tibia was broken in one spot and fibula had multiple fractures. He also had fractures on his hip where his femur and hip come together.

He had some fractures in his wrist as well. But other than that, it was mostly second to third degree burns, with minimal spots of fourth. 

Both brothers were a mess of burns and varying broken bones; and once more Will wondered what life would be like as a normal teenager.

Much like the son of Hades, Will also experienced fatigue when he overused his powers, and after two full days of overuse, Will was feeling spent once all was said and done. Yes he had eaten breakfast and lunch, and got a decent night sleep, it still wasn’t a sufficient enough buffer to get back up to strength. 

When the horn sounded for dinner, Will was fighting sleep while he finished cleaning the space around the Stoll brothers beds. 

“Will, you need to lay down.” Austin tried to steer his older brother to the nearest bed.

“But the paperwork—“

“Kayla and I will handle it.”

“Hmmmmm.” Will hummed, running his hands down his face. It was getting very difficult for Will to keep his eyes open; and his siblings cut him off from espresso for the next few days to get his sleep schedule back in shape, so there was no escaping it.

“Ok.” Will sighed. It was hard to argue it when he was already fighting to keep his eyes open. 

He crawled onto the nearest bed, and was out like a light as soon as his he'd made contact with a pillow. Austin took his brother's flip flops off and pulled the blanket over him.

From the bed next to Will, Nico was also fast asleep.

Austin and Kayla left the infirmary as quietly as they could. Even though they could have set a war elephant loose in the room and none of its occupants would wake. 

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day has got to be a personal best. I'm just very excited to write these gay idiots doing stupid gay shit ( ‾ʖ̫‾)
> 
> Also, I finally got a Twix bar so we're all good.


	9. Generic Cookie Cutter Straight Cis White Male

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares that aren't actually "scary" but are off putting enough to call them one.

Like most demigods, Will’s dreams weren’t exactly splendid, comforting escapes. Sometimes you could get glimpses of the world around you, mostly occurring around huge historical events. Like, say, the Titan war, or the battle against Gaea.

But when things are kind of alright with the world? They got to experience what it was like to just _dream._

Unfortunately for Will, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence, he had a nightmare. Will got them a lot when his powers were drained. Almost like a sick punishment, and Will hated it.

Tonight, his nightmare was more like watching a movie of himself when he was younger. 

He loved his mother.

Of course he did.

He remembered when he was very little, he used to be terrified of Thunder and Lightning. The loud booming crackling of thunder and lightning overhead shook the son of Apollo to his bones.

Of course at the time, he didn’t know he was a demigod.

His mother one night brought him into their sunroom. The couch was draped with blankets, he remembers his mother wrapping him up in her arms and blankets during a storm. They watched sheet lighting blanket the sky, and for the first time in his life, he felt safe and _ok_ with the storm.

She helped him see that a little thunder was ok. That as long as he was inside, he had nothing to fear. He had to have been about four years old at the time.

When he thinks of home, he thinks of the blistering heat and insects. He thinks of muggy nights laying awake above his covers trying to cool down and sleep. He thinks of fireflies flickering in the woods, the droning buzz of cicadas.

And drain flies. 

When Will thinks of home, he thinks about his mother’s smile, the sound of her sweet singing voice, the sound of her playing her guitar in the living room while working out song ideas. 

He thinks about her friends, her bandmates, that would come over for jam sessions. He remembers peeking his head out his door to see them play. He wasn't suppose to leave his room when they were over. So he happily listened to their music while he laid on the floor of his bedroom, looking up at the glow in the dark stars on his ceiling. He remembered how long the sessions would go on for.

How he'd space out during those times, and when the world came back into focus, the sun was set and the stars on his ceiling were softly glowing green.

He remembers sneaking out into the kitchen to get something for dinner, because everyone had left and his mother was asleep already. She forgot to check on him again.

He climbed up on the counter, grabbed a box of Cheerios, a tub of Skippy peanut butter, and some Wonder Bread. He would make a sandwich, careful not to make that much noise, careful to put things back exactly how he found it, and careful to set the peanut buttery knife in the sink as quietly as possible.

He remembered how his mother would slowly get pulled into the life of trying to be a country singer more and more. And how he’d learned to take care of himself by the age of six.

Things started to get stranger after he turned eleven.

He remembered running around in his backyard alone, hoping from rock to rock through the woods. That’s the day he found out he was probably different from people around him.

Along the way, one of the rocks was covered with moss, and he slipped and fell.

Hard.

He hurt his wrist bad and was trying so hard not to cry _‘Real men don’t cry.’_ One of his mother’s bandmates had told him once.

Then a mouse scampered out from the ferns growing around him and stopped in just before him, “It’s not that bad.” 

Clearly he hit his head when he fell too. Because mice didn’t talk.

“Seriously, it’ll be ok…” the mouse's voice sounded further off than he looked. 

Will couldn't get the thought out of his head. He remembered this mouse.

 _‘He isn’t mad at you…’_ Now it wasn't really making sense. Not that a mouse talking in general _should_ make sense. 

Was that even the mouse talking?

Will felt the dream get really far away; everything turning muted and grey around him.

_‘Just talk to him. I promise on the Styx and everything.’_

Who even was that? The dream faded to black, and he felt like he was slowly gaining consciousness.

“It’s a little hard to while I’m here.” It sounded like Nico, “I didn’t think it would be that big a deal.”

“Nico, I promise he isn’t _mad_ at you.” It sounded like Jason, “You need to hear it from Percy, but it’s more Like he’s a little butt hurt over it. As he put it, for him it was like, _‘getting dumped by someone who he’s not actually dating.’_ for a second time _._ Annabeth keeps teasing him for it. First it's Rachel after the titan war, now it was you.

“So he’s not avoiding you, he just doesn’t know what to say.”

Will’s eyes opened slowly, blinking away sleep. He vaguely registered the two people talking next to him. It was dark out now, and Will still had a vague sense that he’d had a nightmare. 

Not a violent one, but one that left him unsettled and on edge. He didn’t like to think of Texas a lot. He didn’t like to acknowledge the bad parts of growing up with his mother. 

“Sure seems like it.” Nico mumbled.

Will put aside that thought to then realize he was technically eavesdropping. Because something told Will that this was supposed to be a private conversation, which made him feel guilty; even though he just woke up and wasn’t meaning to.

He couldn’t bring himself to pretend to sleep to hear what their conversation was about either. Or _who_ it was about really. Percy? It felt like an invasion of privacy.

 _‘If this is something important, and Nico doesn’t feel comfortable with me knowing, I should let them know I'm awake. He’ll tell me if he wants to or not.’_ Will thought to himself.

He shifted in bed, from where he was facing the still unconscious Stoll brothers and sat up to let them know he was awake. He was a little disoriented from waking up in the infirmary and not in his bed at the Apollo cabin, but things could be worse.

The conversation stopped quickly as the two boys looked over at Will, who was currently rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

Will looked over at them, “Wa time s it.” His words were slurred as he started to become fully conscious.

Nico’s expression was tense, and Jason looked apologetic.

“A little past 5am. Sorry, did we wake you?” Jason was rubbing the back of his neck.

Will slumped forward, “No…” he yawned, “Nightmare.” the word was mumbled, “What am I still doing here?”

“Kayla and Austin couldn’t wake you up.” Nico replied, "So they figured it was best to leave you here."

Will took in Nico’s appearance. The son of Hades was sitting awkwardly slumped back against the wall, wrapped up in a blanket with his head tilted to the side to see where Will was behind Jason.

“Hmmmm.” He grumbled, “I guess I did overdo it.”

“Overdo what?” Jason asked.

“S’nothin.” Will gestured with his hand, “All that heal-y Apollo magic.” Will yawned again, “Gets tiring.”

Jason gave Will a curious look.

“You get fatigued when you use your powers?” The son of Hades sat up more as he asked, seemingly eager to change the subject him and Jason were discussing.

“When I use it too much, yeah.” Will’s stomach growled but he ignored it, “The last few days have been a lot.”

Jason dug around in a bag he had by the side of his chair and pulled out a nature valley bar and tossed it to Will, who looked at it with confusion before realizing it was food and he should probably eat something.

Will opened it, “Thanks.” He mumbled as he took one of the two oats and honey bars out of its package.

“No problem. I keep them in my bag usually. Nico gets the same way when he overdoes it.”

“Shut up Jason.” 

_‘Oh that’s sweet.’_ Will thought.

Except they both looked at him like he _said_ it. So maybe he did. 

Whoops.

“It kind of makes sense.” Jason observed, “Life and death are two sides of the same coin, right?”

Will was confused, "What do you mean?"

"You get fatigued in the same way Nico would." Jason said it mater of fact.

Nico was looking at Will with a faint blush that went unnoticed.

“Like me and Percy,” Nico bristled, “We both use elemental magic, so we both get fatigue too. Only it’s kind of different? Like with Nico—“

“Oh my gods.” The son of Hades grumbled.

“His fatigue hits him kind of like a narcoleptic episode? There’s a brief warning, then he’s out like a light. There’s no waking him once he’s out. He’s gotta get there on his own.

“With me and Percy, it’s just exhausted delirium. We can sleep, but could still be easily woken up.”

“Hmmmm.” Will hummed between bites.

Then something in Will’s brain clicked, “Wait, Jason. How did you get here?”

“I don’t know why," Jason started, "but the Harpies don’t really seem to notice me when I leave in the middle of the night.”

“And you do this often?” Will raised an eyebrow.

“Look, Will, if your cabin had a gigantic statue of your dad looking like an angry hippie, you would want to take long walks away from it too.” Jason raised his hands in defense. Next to him, Nico snorted.

“Wait really?” Will was now very intrigued, “I’ve never seen the inside of cabin 1.”

Nico laughed, “Yeah he looks so—“ thunder boomed overhead causing the trio to jump. 

“ _Great. Zeus looks very great.”_ Jason clapped his hand on Nico’s shoulder.

“Have I said before that I love men who can take criticism?” Connor mumbled from the other side of the infirmary.

“Me personally? I like men with a fragile ego.” Travis called back to his brother, “The more delicate the better.”

Will snorted, “Not saying anyone _specifically?_ ”

“Oh no, not at all.” Jason added.

“So we're just referring to your, you know,” Will waved his hand, “You’re generic, cookie cutter, straight, cis, white male?”

"Most defiantly." Travis and Connor said in unison.

All the tension that was in Nico since the booming thunder cracked overhead seemed to drain from his body. Jason was smiling too.

“How are you guys feeling?” Will called over.

“Like we lost a battle to a war elephant.”

Jason rolled his eyes, “I mention Hannible one time, and now everyone wants a war elephant.”

Will got out of bed and started to dig through a cabinet by the reception desk area for some pain killers, “Ok. So I can’t give you any more ambrosia till at least 12, but these should help with the pain.” The son of Apollo was quick to shift gears from groggy and just waking up, to demigod doctor at the drop of a dime. 

Out of earshot from Will, Jason turned to Nico and gave him a knowing smile.

“Oh don’t start with that now.” Nico grumbled and hit his friend with his pillow.

The son of Hades was actually smiling.

The tragedy? Will was too busy to see it. 

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foreshadowing? 
> 
> ଘ꒰ ๑ ˃̶ ᴗ ᵒ̴̶̷๑꒱و ̑̑


	10. Infirmary day 2: Electric Boogaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just a little thunder and lightning, Will. It's gonna be fine.

The following day was a torrential downpour. Thunder boomed overhead, and for the most part, camp activities were halted for the day. 

Usually the camp’s protective barrier shielded away harsh weather like this. But this wasn’t your average storm, this was Zues being a jerk. 

Austin sat on the infirmary reception desk fiddling around with a ukulele a camper from the Demiter cabin accidentally sprouted forget-me-nots in. The blue flowers were deeply rooted in the body of the musical instrument, but Austin was determined to salvage it anyways. 

Kayla was messing around with a cheap bow and arrow with suction cups toy she got from  _ gods _ knows where, and kept threatening to shoot Connor and Travis in the forehead with one if they continued to scratch at their bandaging.

For the most part, the Stoll brother’s burns were healing up nicely. With the aid of some ambrosia and an advanced burn salve for demigods Will learned to make from Chiron, third and fourth degree burns were well on their way to being more like mild sunburns.

But if they kept itching then the scabbing would get worse and would definitely leave behind a nasty scar. Or a  _ nastier _ scar, Will should say.

Connor’s ribs and head, which were the areas of highest concern, were almost completely mended thanks to some ambrosia combined with a little healing magic. Fractures were easiest to heal for Will as far as bone related injuries went. But big brakes like Connor’s collarbone and arm? Or Travis’s leg and wrist?

Those took time and energy. Those required a lot of concentration on Will’s end to hold and align the segments perfectly while healing to avoid infections. 

Will was incredibly grateful to the Romans, who pitched in considerably with healing injured demigods after the battle with Gaea. Now that they’re gone though, Will was back to being one of the only healers at camp. 

Austin and Kayla were great help, don’t get him wrong. But he was crushed by the overwhelming pressure that this was all he could do, and only he could do it.

Not nearly as many campers were in the infirmary as there were a few days prior. But damn if the demigods at Camp Half-Blood didn’t insist on getting hurt in spectacular ways.

Like fishing for landmines. 

_ Fishing for landmines?! _

_ Ah yes! Welcome to summer camp kids, please leave your sanity at the door! Today we talk about pyrotechnics! _

Travis was definitely worse off. He looked like someone you’d find on the front of a warning for workplace injuries pamphlet at an automotive shop. His hip was doing better, with the fractures all but healed up with ambrosia and healing magic; so at least the poor boy could lay down more comfortably. His wrist was in a cast that went from the palm of his hand down to the middle of his forearm, and his leg was in a suspended cast. The parts of his right leg and arm that weren’t in a cast were bandaged up-- _ which he just kept trying to itch at-- _ along with parts of his chest and abdomen. 

All things considered, they were taking being blown up like a champ. 

Will was busy filling out some paperwork to put in the Stoll brothers files. Keeping track of past injuries and all that to hopefully avoid worse damage later on. Things to keep an eye on etc.

Annabeth and Jason were visiting Nico at the moment, which made Will happy.

_ ‘See you idiot? People do want you around.’ _ Will thought to himself while he flipped through papers at his desk.

Annabeth was sitting at the foot of the bed with her back against the wall. Jason was in his usual seat. And Nico was laying on his back with his legs stretched upwards against the wall, which was just asking for a headrush.

The son of Hades had an apple in his hand, which he periodically took a bite of between words, and made wild gestures while he spoke. It was a wonder that he didn’t choke. Will didn’t know what they were talking about, but all things considered Nico looked to be in a good mood. 

Will wanted to go over and join them, but he had work to do. Just because everyone els’s extracurricular activities have been put aside, didn’t mean campers wouldnt still do stupid things.

A particularly loud  _ BOOM _ shook the ground causing everyone in the room to flynch. Kayla accidentally let a suction cup arrow fly, which stuck to the wall only an inch away from Connor’s head, and Austin cursed when one of the ukulele strings broke with a loud  _ SPRUNG  _ noise.

Laughter sounded around the room as people relaxed and returned to what they were doing. Connor was now holding one of Kayla’s arrows hostage, Austin was pulling the now snapped string from the instrument and fishing through a repair kit he kept in his bag for a new one.

The conversation resumed between Jason, Annabeth and Nico.

Will’s body was still ridgid though. His consciousness felt like it was 40 miles out from his actual body. The noises around him felt like they were coming from down a long tunnel. 

_ ‘See William? The thunder can’t get to you from inside.’  _ He heard his mother saying. 

_ ‘All that noise?’ She ruffled his hair, ‘It’s just God and his angels playing a game of bowling. Nothin more.’ _

Will remembered feeling comforted by those words.

A large bolt of lightning would streak across the sky with a crackle and Will would crawl further into his mother’s arms and hide his head.

_ 'Oh they just got a strike s’all. God's angels are just showin off.’ _

Her voice was soft and melodic. She could be saying anything, and four year old Will would have felt safer. 

Will had to tell himself it was fine. He was ok. It was  _ just _ thunder and lightning. 

Definitely not an angry god with a sore ego lashing out at a bunch of kids for making a joke. 

Definitely not an angry god who was technically Will’s grandfather?

_ No. No, no. I already have more than enough parental issues. Let’s leave grandparents out of it.  _

_ If Zues was his grandfather, did that make Jason my uncle? _

Will shook his head. This was stupid. 

He was feeling himself come back slowly. Bit by bit. 

“And I’ll shoot you again, too!” His head jotted upwards as Kayla was drawing another flimsy, plastic, yellow arrow on her flimsy, plastic, yellow bow. 

“Make my day  _ Moss Head! _ ” Connor shouted from his bed, using his good arm to brandish a roll of gauze.

“ _ Guys _ come on!” Austin was yelling. His ukulele was set aside while he gestured with his hands to deescalate the situation. The forget-me-not roots were now staking their claim to the neck and fretboard of the instrument.

“Kayla, Connor—“ Will started to say before a roll of gauze bounced off his forehead, “Ok now that was uncalled for.”

“Sorry Will—“ Connor called before getting caught off guard by an arrow suction cupping to his forehead.

“Gott’m!”

“What the hades did I just miss?” Will looked to Austin.

“Connor shoved one of Kayla’s arrows under his arm cast to itch himself and he broke it.” Connor threw the arrow in question in Kayla’s direction, it’s suction cup head was gone and the shaft was bent so the plastic arrow flew through the air with as much force as a drinking straw being tossed against the wind.

Meaning it didn’t get very far.

And just sort of clattered against the floor. 

“That’s so disgusting!” She shouted.

“That can’t be sanitary,” Will looked at the broken arrow with mild disgust, no doubt covered in a mix of sweat, burn salve, skin—“Gods, throw that away.” Will said to no one in particular.

“Kayla, no more arrows being pointed at people.” Will chastised, “And  _ Connor _ , we talked about this. Stop the scratching or it will get worse.” Will stepped around the desk and leveled the son of Hermes with the  _ no nonsense doctor voice _ he’d given Clarisse the day before. He pulled the arrow from his head and  tossed it back to Kayla

Will did his part to break up the fight and calm people down. That’s what he does best.

But…

Will couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. 

Or something was  _ about _ to go horribly wrong.

He hadn’t thought of his old life down south in years. He hadn’t thought about his mother, that old home in the woods, in the middle of some small, podunk town in Texas. The cicadas droning in the summertime, and hot humid nights. The comforting sound of his mother’s voice, and how one day it no longer was. 

If he closed his eyes, he could see her rounded face. Her rich honey colored skin, with freckles like someone took a paintbrush and flicked it; much like his own. Her tight, curly auburn red hair that she always held out of her face with a blue bandana. Her warm brown eyes, with crows feet and additional wrinkles around her face that showed her age. Her deep, brown eyes that could be loving, or pierce right through you depending on her mood.

And by gods, that mouse? What was that?  _ Why _ did it feel like he was forgetting something important?

And storms.

Will hadn’t had an episode since he was just a little kid. Why was this all coming back?

What was going on?

Will had to fight the urge to curl up in a ball and hide under a table from whatever this was, like he was a little kid again. 

Gods.

He felt like such a child.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting yesterday, I got distracted and made a pair of pants lol
> 
> Also next chapter is gonna have some big things happen, so it might take a little longer to make. I'm also gonna try participating in the Nico Di Angelo Birthday Event on Tumblr so expect some solangelo art content coming out soon!


	11. Day 3: Could have ended better (In Will's honest opinion).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the boys fall.
> 
> HARD.

Now Will wished he could say that day 3 of Nico staying in the infirmary ended without incident.

Oh how Will wishes he could say that. But the fates must have had some sick vendetta against 1 (one) William Andrew Solace.

The storm from yesterday had eased up considerably. The sun was shining high in the sky. The weather was warm and pleasant. The sea breeze carried with it the sweet scent of strawberries through the open window of the infirmary. In the window, like some silly little joke for the Apollo kids, the ukulele which was overrun by a very persistent bunch of forget-me-nots was now placed in a terracotta pot with some potting soil. The body of the instrument was buried up to the sound hole, but the neck was sticking up at a slight angle due to the weight of the blue flowers. 

A few members of the Hermes cabin were currently visiting Connor and Travis, and for once, Nico had no visitors.

The son of Hades abandoned his bed in lue of harassing Will as he boardly thumbed through papers. Not that Will minded in the slightest. He actually quite liked the company. Nico sat on the desk next to the papers Will was going through snd just talked. If Will was being honest, he could have listened to Nico talk about literary anything and still be captivated. His voice was nice, and the way his eyes lit up when he was engaged in conversation was genuinely the sweetest thing.

“So do you  _ ever _ do anything outside of the infirmary?” Nico asked as he twiddled a pen he picked up off the desk between his fingers. 

“Usually, yes.” Will sighed, then looked past Nico to the Stoll brothers occupying the two beds across from the reception desk, “But when we get cases like these two, somebody’s gotta keep an eye on them. That somebody’s usually me since I specialize in healing.” 

Nico absently kicked his legs back and forth as he turned to look and the squad of Hermes children now crowding the infirmary, “I guess that makes sense.

“You must have  _ some _ things here to keep yourself occupied though. I would lose my mind if I had to sit in one place for so long.” Will could tell Nico was trying to get at something. No doubt he wanted to scram from the infirmary as soon as possible. Will couldn't say as he blamed him. Will would also love to leave.

“I used to have a DS, but I have no clue where it went.” Will kicked back, “And there also use to be a TV with a DVD player, but that has unfortunately died.”

“What?”

“Chiron approved of it since it wasn’t something that connects to WiFi so it doesn’t send out signals to monsters in the area. But about a week ago, we set it up in the big house for a movie night for the younger campers while we prepared for battle with the Romans. 

“One thing led to another, and  _ bam _ , TV got knocked over.”

Nico’s eyebrows knit together, “Wait, seriously? How the hell does something like that just  _ happen _ ?”

“It was an accident,” Will sighed, “But there’s nothing that can be done about that now.” Will waved his hand, “Goodbye TV, and with it takes the only source of entertainment I had left in this place.

“I keep digging through and updating paperwork, but gods there isn’t really anything  _ to _ update anymore.” Will frowned. 

“Paperwork sounds boring anyways.”

“It is…”

“Why not have one of your siblings take over for a bit?” Nico asked.

Will looked up from his paperwork that he’s officially alphabetized according to first name, then re-alphabetizes according to last name, “What are you suggesting?”

Nico’s cheeks tinted pink, “Well, I mean, you’ve been cooped up in here for what, about a week now? Why not go for a walk or something?

“Personally, I’m starting to get stir crazy myself. I don’t know how you’ve managed to stay sane.”

Will arched a brow, “Are you asking me to go on a walk with you?”

Nico gave Will an intense stair , “Don’t word it like that—I only meant, it couldn’t hurt to go out and get some fresh air.

“Plus I’m still  _ technically _ under doctors orders to stay in the infirmary for 3 days. If we _both_ went for a walk, you’d still be there to scold me if I tried anything dumb.” Nico was rubbing the back of his neck, but looking at the son of Apollo out of the corner of his eye. 

Will now got the sense that this was more a ploy so Nico could leave the infirmary early, but part of him hoped that there was something more behind the offer.

Will snorted, “Yeah I guess that would be ok.” He rested his chin on one hand and drummed his fingers on the desk with his other, “Only problem is, none of my siblings will be coming around till around dinner. Kayla is helping teach archery, and Austin is determined to teach that one camper from the Demiter cabin how to play  _ any _ instrument without sprouting plants.”

“And your other siblings?”

“They’re all too young and inexperienced with healing stuff, I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting them in a situation like that.”

“Will, you do realize you’re still a kid too, right?” Nico countered.

Will pursed his lips and looked out the window, “Now you’re sounding like Jason.” He huffed, “I’m old  _ enough _ . By demigod standards I’m basically an adult.”

Nico leveled him with an unimpressed look, “Personally, even though I definitely sound like a hypocrite, I think you need to realize how dumb that statement is. 

“It doesn’t matter if you're a demigod or what, you're still 14 years old. You're a kid.”

Will buried his face in his hands, “Let’s put it this way, I’m the head councilor for cabin 7. I’m responsible for them. I’m the oldest—and technically I’m actually—“

Will got cut off by a sudden arrow flying through the infirmary window, whizzing right past his face and embedding itself in the wall a few inches above Cecil’s head.

“HOLY MOTHER OF—“

“Sorry!” Someone, who sounded suspiciously like Kayla, called from outside.

Will’s sister poked her head into the window to check and make sure nobody got hurt, “Teaching Percy archery really is a lost cause, is everyone alright?”

“Are you trying to give me more patients? Holy hades woman.” Will called out.

“Do you—do you want your arrow back?” Cecil asked, though all the blood seemed to have drained from his face. The poor guy almost had a heart attack, and Will couldn’t blame him.

Kayla looked apologetic, “No—I mean if you want to give it back that’s fine, I’m sorry about that, Cecil.”

Nico looked to Kayla, “Hey when do you think you’ll be free?”

Will’s sister looked to the son of Hades with surprise, “Oh, well archery lessons end in about half an hour, why?”

“I'm gonna drag Will away from the infirmary for a bit.” Nico said it like there was no room for Will to object, which Will supposed there really wasn’t.

Kayla looked at the two boys and grinned, “Sounds good. I’ll be back as soon as lessons are over!” and with that, she quickly ducked out.

Nico gave her a polite nod.

Will just looked to the son of Hades and shook his head, “You’re a pain, you know that?”

“Well I’m a pain that  _ you _ wanted to stick around.” Nico rolled his eyes, “So you only have yourself to blame.”

Cecil kept his eyes on the window as if expecting a second arrow to come flying through and do what the first one couldn't. He clutched the first arrow in his hands like a spoil of war. The rest of the Hermes children were back to their previous conversation, something about smuggling who knows what into the camp. It _probably_ wasn’t something  _ illegal _ .

Will hoped. 

Once Kayla finally made it back to the infirmary, eager to kick her brother out so he could get some fresh air and do something other than hunker down and keep an eye on the Stoll brothers.

"Come on, let’s go.” Nico pulled Will up out of his chair by his arm.

“And where, exactly, are we going?”

“I haven’t actually  _ been _ to camp in almost a year. I wanna explore the woods and see what’s new.” Nico looked so relieved to step through the threshold of the infirmary. It was almost kind of jarring to see the son of Hades look  _ happy _ instead of his usual cold and serious demeanor prior to the battle with Gaea. 

It was almost like Nico felt like he could actually be himself, and it was such a nice sight to see. 

“While it’s still sunny, the woods should be pretty safe.” Will took a moment to stretch his arms, “The monsters really start to come out after nightfall.”

The two of them walked across camp chatting about the new camp additions that were finished when Nico was absent. New cabins, renovations to the dining area to include more tables around the hearth, and a few other things like the sparring ring expanding, as well as the archery range. 

It was funny when you noticed the distance between the archery range and the infirmary. It was quite the impressive shot that Percy got the arrow as far as he did.

Along the way, they walked past Jason and Piper chilling on a bench by the water. The son of Zeus smiled and waved to the two boys with a funny, knowing look in his eyes.

As they finally stepped into the woods, something felt slightly off. 

They started on a familiar path created for capture the flag. Will’s ears picked up on a mouse squeak and he started to look all around.

“Nico, did you hear that?” He asked as they continued their trek into the woods. 

The son of Hades brows knit together in confusion, “Hear what?”

“It was a squeak,” he looked from the ferns on the forest floor over to Nico, “Almost like a mouse.”

Nico still looked confused, “A, mouse.” He gave Will an unimpressed stare, “Mice are a sacred animal to Apollo, but I don’t see what searching for mice in the woods is gonna solve.”

_ —Squeak-Squeak—Be careful— _

But by bit, Will’s mind was discovering old peace’s to a puzzle he seemed to have forgotten existed. His dream from the other night  _ had _ to mean something. 

But what?

“Ok, so hear me out.” Will started as he began to snoop through the trees around the walking trail, “I had a really weird dream the other night when I passed out in the infirmary.” 

Will kept hearing the squeaking of a mouse, only it was more a voice the closer he got to whatever it was.

_ —Squeak—Squeak—Too close—Be careful— _

“The nightmare?” Nico recalled.

Will nodded, peering back down the pathway from where they came. The voice was starting to scare him. Will stopped walking, suddenly  _ very  _ aware of something watching them. 

Something  _ underground _ . 

Like it was moving, or more like  _ growing. _

_ —Squeak—Squeek—Too close—Turn back—Danger— _

Nico seemed to sense there was something wrong as well. He stopped a few paces ahead of Will, but you could tell the son of Hades was feeling agitated by something as well. 

“Will." Nico turned to the son of Apollo, "What happened in your dream?” He didn’t seem necessarily  _ concerned,  _ per say. More like the son of Hades had a few puzzle pieces of his own he was trying to make sense of.

“It was something from my childhood. A suppressed memory, I think.

“I was talking to a mouse, or I guess a mouse was talking to me? I know it sounds crazy. But the more I’ve been thinking about that dream, the more it feels like—“

Will was cut off as a brown mouse darted from a bush and scared the daylights out of him.

_ —Run—Bad—Run—Bad—Turn back— _

Will’s eyes grew wide as his mind took in the information. 

Nico’s eyes followed the mouse as it started frantically darting between the foliage around them, “What’s the mouse saying?” He asked in a tone that said _'It sounds crazy, but I believe you.'_

“Nico I think we should turn back, it’s saying to turn back—“ the hairs on the back of Will’s neck stood up as a breeze blew through the trees. This one was cold and unpleasant. The sea breeze at camp carried with it the sweet scent of strawberries and safety; this one smelled like a damp old cave and danger. 

Nico picked up on it very quickly and bristled, moving closer to Will almost protectively. Which was kind of funny given the six inch height difference. 

But right now wasn’t really time for a joke.

Right now, every fiber of Will’s being was yelling at him to grab Nico and run; which was only fueled further by the chorus of  _ run bad run _ of the mouse scurrying around them trying to get them to follow.

“We need to leave—“ right as those words started to leave Nico’s mouth, it was almost as if the ground beneath them opened up like a trap door and the two of them were suddenly falling into a dark pit that smelled like a damp old cave and danger. 

_ —Squeak—Squeak—You should have run when you had the chance. The Maze has returned—Squeak—Squeak— _

Shit.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that part where I said it would probably be a hot minute till I updated this next? Yeah I got really excited so that hot minute was very short, hope you don't mind lol
> 
> Anyways! Next chapter! Will be! A trip!


	12. Day ??? in the Labyrinth: Encounter with Erysichthon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‼️Blood/Gore Warning‼️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for angst guys!

So things weren’t exactly looking up for them at the moment. 

Well—except for the two of them. Looking up from where the ground just magically opened up. The area of which was now completely sealed shut. It was just light enough in the tunnel that they could make out the general area around them, along with seeing each other. 

Not that they were very far apart at the moment for that to even be a problem. The area was kind of narrow, with just enough room for them to walk side by side in with a two feet of distance between them.

 _‘Go for a walk.’_ They said, _‘It’ll be FUN._ ’ They said.

“So…” Will began, getting to his feet. He reached over to help Nico up. 

“That just happened.” Nico finished, grabbing Wills hand and getting to his feet as well. 

They both finally tour their gaze from the ceiling, Will looking to Nico, and Nico now carefully taking in their surroundings.

“I can’t help but shake the feeling this is familiar.” 

“Pasiphaë said the maze was reborn, but I didn’t actually think it was true.”

Will looked puzzled, “Who? What maze, Nico?”

Nico looked over to Will now, still on edge, “The Labyrinth.”

Will’s body froze over, “The Labyrinth…” Will repeated. That’s where the sense of familiarity came from. That’s why every inch of this place reeked of this - _bad-wrong-bad-_ feeling. 

That was why the mouse…

More puzzle pieces were coming together. His mother, his fall in the woods, that talking mouse, and now how that connected with his time in the Labyrinth.

He thought the mouse wasn’t real when he first got to camp. His siblings had mentioned how children of Apollo haven't been able to speak with mice in decades. Will decided it was best not to mention it. And slowly, as new and crazier things began to happen around Camp Half-Blood, a talking mouse just kind of fell in the background.

Eventually, his memory was just that of a little kid, blindly stumbling through the Labyrinth alone and scared. Then, there just wasn’t a mouse anymore. Just a figment of a scared child’s imagination, drawn up as a coping mechanism while traveling alone in a maze that was out to kill him.

“Follow me.” Nico started inspecting the walls around where they had fallen, “We need to find the Delta symbol. That’s the only way to open the doorway again.”

“I know.” Will was already searching for the familiar triangle marking.

It was silent between them for a few minutes while they searched, but then Nico spoke up.

“Wait…” he started, then looked over his shoulders to where the healer stood running his hands across the surface of the wall, “How do you know about that? You weren’t with Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Elizabeth and Tyson when they came down here originally.”

“It’s a long story.” 

“They didn’t send down more people to scope, did they?”

Will shook his head, “No, just those 5.” Will was growing frustrated, “I can’t find it.”

Nico didn’t take his eyes off the son of Apollo, he knew something was up. Something Will didn’t want to talk about at present. And he of all people knew not to press anyone on things they’d rather not discuss. 

He’d be a hypocrite otherwise. 

Will could tell Nico was getting frustrated too, “Shit.” If Chiron were here, Nico would have definitely been scolded, “I can’t find it anywhere either. Something feels off.”

Will was scared to voice his thoughts. They were stuck. They were definitely, truly stuck here in the Labyrinth.

A strong breeze blew down the tunnel from their left, it sent goosebumps up Will’s arms. They really, couldn’t possibly, be any less prepared for a sudden impromptu trip into a deadly maze that was alive and full of lurking danger around every corner. 

His short sleeve, blue doctor’s shirt did little to keep him warm, and his flip flops weren’t exactly ideal for long walks with no current end in sight. 

“I think we’re stuck.” Nico said it for him.

After a moment Will responded, “I think you’re right.” He looked to the tunnel to their left, “The breeze came from that way, I think we should get moving in that direction before something comes around to find us.”

“What if I just shadow-traveled is—“

“Nico you’re in no shape to shadow-travel _yourself_ let alone two people.”

“Well what if there’s no way out?” Nico was visibly irritated, “Will, we can’t even find the Delta symbol for an area we just fell through. What makes you think we can find any others?” The son of Hades snapped.

Will hummed as he looked around, completely unfazed by Nico’s temper flaring.

“Nico, do you trust me?”

“I trust that you _think_ you know what you’re doing.” His brows knit together.

“Nico, I’ve been here before. I think I—“

“Will, I’ve spent months, almost a year even, exploring and living in the Labyrinth.” The son of Hades cut him off, “I have no idea what’s going wrong here, but something is _different_. Just let me shadow-travel—“

“Nico.” Will cut him off right back, “I spent a year in here too. I know what you mean.” He jabbed a finger into Nico’s chest, “I have no idea how _you_ navigated down here, but I had my own way.”

Nico looked stunned, “Solace, what the hell do you mean—“

“We need to start moving. We aren’t shadow-traveling. I know it sounds crazy, but we need to go left. Where there's a breeze, there must be an exit.”

“And how, exactly, did you navigate the tunnels yourself?” Nico quipped.

“A mouse led the way.”

“Right, a mouse.” Nico rolled his eyes, still very much annoyed that Will wouldn’t let him do things his way, “By all means, lead the way Cinderella.” 

Will glared at the shorter boy, “Do _not_ call me Cinderella.” He started, “And if you think my way is so dumb, how did you find your way around?”

“I followed the Ghost of Minos.”

“Ok death boy—“

“Solace what did I say about calling me that?“

Will picked up on a faint chittering noise coming from the right, “Nico we need to move.” Will started in the direction of the breaze, “ _Now._ ” He grabbed Nico’s arm to start pulling the obstinate boy along.

Nico shook Will’s hand off, but kept on following, “This is so stupid.”

Everything was coming together in a moment of clarity.

When Will was a little kid, he fell in the woods and hurt his wrist. A mouse started talking to him, calmed him down and talked him through the process of healing his own wrist. using his powers for the first time. It told him he was being followed, and led him to an entrance of the Labyrinth. Somebody was after him, and he needed to escape. It only felt like he’d been in there for a week tops. But when he came out, Will was in the heart of New York, confused, dirty and hungry.

A satyr found him wandering alone, and led him to camp. The rest was history. 

He remembered how scared he was, the monsters in the Labyrinth, the traps, things that wanted him dead. But regardless, the mouse knew he needed to get to camp. One of the only safe places in the world for a demigod. 

Then he found out it had been a little over a year. He’d just gone missing for over an _entire_ _year_. 

What did his mother think? 

What happened back in Texas when they first noticed Will had gone missing?

He remembered mentioning it in the Hermes cabin, before being claimed by Apollo a few days later. 

Luke, the head of the cabin, pulled some strings and brought to him a few newspaper clippings of his disappearance, followed by an obituary. 

_His_ obituary. 

The articles themselves were your standard _‘Missing Children’_ ads, but the last one made him feel sick. They found skeletal remains of a young boy in the woods near his town, very similar to himself, and came to the conclusion it was his body.

He had all the newspaper clippings tucked away in a small box under his bed in the Apollo cabin. He didn’t like to talk about it. It was a secret between him and Luke.

And well… It was now just something only he knew about, now that Luke…

Gods, Will couldn't do this right now. He’d had enough of feeling depressed about lost friends. It was probably for the best only Will knew about it now anyways. 

As they made their way down the tunnel, the walls slowly changed to bricks instead of rough rocks. The first sign of light came from a sconce on the wall. It was reassuring to have an actual light source instead of bumbling through the darkness, but also unsettling when you thought about _why_ it was lit. 

There had to be something, or _someone_ down here with them.

But of course there was. This was the Labyrinth for gods sake.

The bricks had moss trailing up from cracks in the grey cement floor.

“It smells like musty wet dirt.” Nico mumbled. 

“Probably the moss.”

The cold wind blew through more frequently, sending a shiver up Will’s spine. 

He heard a squeak and his heart leaped in his throat.

“Did you hear that?” Will asked.

Nico scanned around intently. The chitter grew louder as they walked further and further into the bricked corridor.

_—Squeak—Squeak—Coming—I’m coming—Here to help—_

Will let out a startled yelp when he felt something latch into his leg and quickly scurry up his pants and shirt to settle on his shoulder. 

It was the little brown mouse from earlier, “Oh, why hello.” He gave the mouse a little wave, feeling awkward and unsure of proper etiquette for greeting a sudden talking mouse.

It started to rub at its face with its little mouse paws, cleaning dirt from its fur. Had the mouse somehow burrowed in here to help them?

_—You’re really not a smart kid, you know that?—_

Up closer, Will could understand more and more of the mouse's words. And he didn’t know weather to be relieved or offended.

“Well that’s not very nice.”

_—You’ve returned. You need to leave. I tried to warn you, dumb boy—_

“I appreciate the help, but if you could kindly stop calling me stupid that would be nice.”

Nico snorted, “Sounds like the mouse knows what it’s talking about _—_ ”

“Oh shut it.”

_—Pietro, my name is Pietro and you will address me as such. Shorter dumb boy is one to talk.—_

“He says his name is Pietro,” Will translated, “And he also called you shorter dumb boy, so _—_ ”

“Ok I’m over this,” Nico waved his hand, “I’m not that short.”

_—I never said he were short, just that he was shorter.—_

“He has a point.” 

“I’m not that short, I’m average height for a _—_ ”

“Oh wait, no, sorry you couldn’t understand him.” Will cut him off, feeling stupid for momentarily forgetting Nico couldnt understant mouse, “Pietro said you arent _short_ per say. Just shorter than me.”

And to be fair, Will wasn’t exactly familiar with the whole translating thing. He was still mentally processing that _Yes this is a mouse and I’m talking to it. It understands me. I understand it. What a time to be alive._

_—Keep moving ahead. The corridor will end in two paths. Keep to the right.—_

“The mouse is on thin ice.” Nico mumbled.

“And he says the corridor bisects ahead. We should take the right path.”

“Ok so we already have a lead. How will this help us get out?”

_—The labyrinth has changed since last time. Entrances and exits are tricky. You are unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know a way out.—_

“What did he say?”

“He’s saying that entrances and exits are tricky now. I don’t exactly know what that’s supposed to mean, but he knows a way out.”

Nico seemed weary of listening to Pietro, the mouse. And had Will not felt this attachment and familiarity with the little guy, he would have also been apprehensive. 

But Will knew this mouse. This little guy got him to New York safely the first time. 

“And what if we keep to the left?”

— _Dead end. Leads to a pit of garbage. Dangerous monster lurks there.—_

“Garbage pit and a monster. It’s also a dead end.” Will relayed the information to Nico.

“And what’s waiting for us on the right?” Nico was eyeing the mouse suspiciously. 

The farther they walked, the stench of wet, hot garbage grew more and more pungent.

— _Erysichthon.—_

Will stopped just as the fork in the road hit, “Who’s Erysichthon?”

Nico looked confused and stopped next to the blond, “You mean the guy who cut down a sacred grove of Demiter’s?” 

_—Yes, that Erysichthon. Came back from the dead. Got lost. Stuck down here.—_

“Will, that’s not good. The man was unstable the _first_ time he was alive. He was cursed by Demiter for cutting down a sacred oak tree, and killing a dryad in the process. Just to build a feist hall for himself.”

“Great, just another character reanimated by Gaea.” Will mumbled.

“He was cursed with an appetite so strong he _—”_

“Hello?” the voice of a man called out, “Is anyone there?”

Nico flinched and latched on to Wills arm, which seemed so out of character for him.

“Anyone care to help an old man?” His voice was raspy and dry, like he hadn’t had a thing to drink in a long while. 

“Will,” Nico’s voice was just barely a whisper, “Will, whatever is down that way, it wreaks of death.”

The hair on the back of Will’s neck stood on end, “What do you mean? The garbage pit is too strong _—_ ”

“I _mean_ I sense the presence of a lot of dead things. Usually it’s pretty strong in the Labyrinth. But _this_ , it’s like a group of anguished spirits. Like they all died fairly recently.”

“Well that doesn’t instill much confidence. But thanks for the update.”

_—It’s best to get a move on. He’s coming this direction anyways.—_

“If we try and go left, at best he’ll corner us. At worst, we're monster food for whatever is waiting. It makes sense to try and book it right, there’s a guaranteed path through.” Will kept his voice low enough for only Nico and the mouse to hear.

“Gods, I don’t like it, but you have a point.”

_—Dumb boy can be smart sometimes. Now let’s go.—_

“Please won’t you come help a sick, poor, old man?” Erysichthon’s voice rasped out.

Every fiber of Will's being was a hot wire for that - _bad-wrong-bad-_ feeling that channel through his nerves. They approached the entrance to the right hall, and the mouse scampered up Will’s neck to hide in his thick curly hair.

_—Don’t like.—_

_‘Yeah well neither do I.’_ Will thought to himself. 

The sconces on the wall lit their path ahead. Cobwebs caught between them and the wall, gently blowing in the cold breeze. 

Slowly the cracked cement floor gave way to polished slabs of black granite which was scuffed up. The sconces on the wall’s stopped after a few feet in. Now replaced with an open flame of a brazier lit every twenty feet or so. The bricks on the wall were a stark white, like marble. 

Despite the nicer quality of the layout, this space was creepy and decrepit in it’s own right. As they continued down their path, Will looked in one of the burning pits, only to blanch when he noticed bones.

Hopefully not human.

Nico seemed to pick up on this too, “Are you sure you don’t want to try shadow-travel?” he tried for one last time.

“Hello?” Erysichthon called out once more. As they got closer, they heard a periodical snapping. Like someone breaking branches.

Gods was it too much to ask for just one thing to go easy? Could they not be blessed enough to sneak on through without being caught. Couldn't they just be on their merry little ways?

Then…

They saw him…

Will felt nauseous. The man was all skin and bones. His clothing was tattered and hung from his frame like a bed sheet being hung out to dry. His hair was greasy and matted, and his skin was covered in stains of red and brown muck. Erysichthon was crawling around and digging through piles of bones. The room was a cavern, really. Human and animal remains alike were all strewn across the area.

A path snaked between hill sized piles of bones, with the braziers following it. These ones had considerably more bones piled in them and fueling the fire, which seemed like the only source of heat in this otherwise ice rink of a room. 

The snapping noise they heard was the sound of Erysichthon breaking apart bones to try and suck the marrow out of them. But from the looks of it, there was already nothing left. 

“Oh drat.” Erysichthon said to himself as he tossed a tibia over his shoulder, which banged against a metal brazier and clattered to the floor, “Seems as though I’ve already been here.” his voice crooned.

The two boys tried to sneak around a hill, crouching down. Nico carefully peared around the side to keep an eye on the deranged old man, “He’s a cannibal.”

“Got that one.” Will said while locking eyes with the skull of a dead human.

“I think if we’re careful, we can make it to the other side of the room without being spotted. But I’ll need you to follow my lead.”

Will nodded, “Got it.”

Nico was watching the movements of the old man like a hawk, they quickly started to tiptoe around the first large pile, going in a counter direction to Erysichthon, who was circling the other way.

_-snap-crack-snap-_

“Drat, Seems as though I’ve been here too.” The old man’s voice seemed a little farther away, which was a relief.

“Hello? Please won’t you come help out a poor old man?” he crooned as he started tearing through a pile of bones closer to the way they came in.

 _‘No thank you.’_ Will thought.

Nico stopped in his tracks and put his hands over his mouth, “I think I’m gonna be sick…” He whispered. His face looked disgusted, and it took Will a moment to see what Nico was talking about. 

Not a few yards ahead, a pile of clothing, mixed with wet clumps of matted hair and jewelry sat in a mound, piled up against the wall and stretching over half way up to the ceiling. At least a good six feet above Wills head.

The smell hit Will like a city bus. Certainly dulled down in this freezing temperature, but the smell of rot and blood was hard to mask. It made Will question if this was actually reality.

Any minute now, he’d wake up in the infirmary from having passed out at the desk. The sweet smell of strawberries would waft through the open window, and he would be surrounded in the comfort and familiarity of camp.

Of home.

Mixed in with the pile was a disturbing amount of orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirts, along with purple SPQR shirts. Demigods died here. Other demigods have actually _died_ here.

How long had Erysichthon been lurking here? How could one man possibly go through this many people so quickly? It looked like there was an entire army and then some worth of bones and clothing in here.

“Hello? Please, young demigods. Won’t you please help out an old man?” The voice was definitely closer.

“Nico, we need to keep moving.” Will whispered, urging the son of Hades to continue further. 

The sooner they left this room, the better.

“Where are their weapons?” Nico questioned, “If he caught and killed demigods, there has to be some kind of weapons left behind.”

“I can _smell_ you, young demigods.” The old man crooned as he got closer.

“Nico _please._ ” Will was unashamed at the frightened hitch to the word _‘Please’. R_ ight now, Will was terrified.

They were two demigods. One was so magically exhausted, if he tried to use what he had, he would most likely fade for good. And the other was only a healer.

What could Will do? Heal the man to death?

“ _GOT YOU!_ ” Erysichthon shouted with glee as his scrawny, bony fingers latched onto Will’s bicep with surprising strength. Up this close, the old man’s smell rivaled that of the pile of gore and clothing in front of them mixed with the smell of wet hot garbage from the left hallway.

The old man’s teeth latched down on Will’s arm and the son of Apollo shouted in pain. Pietro hopped from Will’s hair and onto Nico’s shoulder and started to shriek in the shorter boy's ear.

Reflexed quickly kicked in, and Will grabbed a handful of Erysichthon’s thin, greasy black hair and gave a pull so forcefully he tore the man’s mouth from his arm. 

“Son of a bitch!” Will yelled at the fresh hot sting erupting across his arm.

“I won’t let you get away _—”_ Erysichthon was cut short by a femur clubbing him off the head, sending him careening backwards and causing him to let go of Will’s arm. The bone shattered on impact, having been dried out for who knows how long; leaving behind splinters of brownish-reddish-white bone fragments that scattered across the floor. Some embed themselves in Erysichthon’s face.

“Let’s go.” Nico grabbed Will’s hand and started to sprint. The two boy’s paid no mind to the crunch of bones beneath their feet, though Will did stumble a few times in his flimsy flip-flops as his foot landed on a clavicle that almost had him tripping into Nico.

“You insufferable little brats!” Erysichthon called from the other side of the room. The two had made it barely just half way when the old man came running after them with a speed way faster than an old man of his build had any right to have.

The old man was almost ten feet behind them and gaining quickly, “Run as fast as you like, they all do!” The old man’s voice was alight with joy, “I always catch them in the end!” 

Nico’s grip on Will’s hand tightened, “Fuck!” The son of Hases yelled, “Sorry Will!”

At first Will thought he was apologizing for them having gotten caught. Then Nico stopped abruptly, Pietro hopped back to Will’s shoulder, and the son of Hades let go of Will's hand.

Everything that happened next went by both at the speed of light, and way too slowly so the fear could really sink it’s teeth in. As if Will really needed anything else sinking their teeth into him.

The aura of death that radiated off Nico sent a chill down Wills spine. The son of Hades raised one of his hands, and suddenly the bones around them started rattling and clanking together. They joined up to become warped amalgamations of humans with dog skulls, cats with sickeningly long, multi jointed legs, a bear with three human skulls, and a few other indecipherable beings. They all charged at Erysichthon, intercepting his path and giving them a chance to hightail it out of there.

When Nico turned around to face Will, the son of Hades looked pale. Or paler than usual. Parts of his body seemed to go translucent then back to normal, and the bags under his eyes seemed to deapen.

_—No time to think! Grab him and run, idiot boy!—_

No need to tell him twice. Will immediately grabbed Nico’s hand, and was filled with instant relief when it made contact with flesh and didn’t just pass through it like he’d feared.

“Let’s get the hell outta dodge!” Will shouted, and the two of them booked it for the other end of the room.

The sounds of the old man’s wailing echoed through the room, and even down the hallway the ran as fast as their feet would carry them. Will’s grip on Nico’s hand tightened as they went, subconsciously sending a little healing magic through the contact.

Why did being a demigod have to be so messed up?

* * *

Fine me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a proud member of the 'Let Nico Di Angelo Say Fuck' club. That boy's earned it.


	13. Day ???: You are my Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boys being sad. Boys being gay. Boys being boys.

The two boys with their mouse ran as far and as fast away from Erysichthon’s chamber as possible. Will’s heart was racing as they rounded corners down a winding path. Despite their panic, Will made sure to follow the chilling breeze. 

_ —Stop!!!—  _

Pietro squeaked in Will’s ear. The mouse, at some point, crawled back up into Will’s hair to hold on.

Will came to an abrupt haunt, causing Nico to crash into Will’s back and sending the two boys tumbling to the ground

“A little warning next time?” Nico complained from the ground beside Will.

“S-Sorry.” Will was breathing heavy. He sat up and quickly took in their surroundings. It was yet another brick hallway, only it had boarded up windows along the wall to their right with a flickering light coming through the cracks. Ahead of them was a gated entrance to what looked like a room full of jail cells. 

_ —There’s danger up ahead. You must be careful. Monsters on the prowl.— _

From next to him, Nico was still sprawled out, breathing heavily, “What did he say?”

“Monsters ahead.” He relayed the information, “What kind? What should we do?” Will asked his mouse friend.

_ —Dracaena. A few of them. They’re searching for demigods. Approach with— _

Pietro gave a horrified squeak, hopped off Will’s shoulder and bolted back down the hall.

“Pietro—“ he called before he heard the sound of something shooting through the air, followed by a sharp sting in his back, “Where did…”

Nico shot upwards just in time to get a dart stuck in his shoulder, “Shit, the mouse… Trap…” and Nico slumped back down on the floor. Gods, Will hoped he was only asleep.

The drowsiness started to hit Will like a ton of bricks and he, too, hit the floor as whatever was in the dart started to kick in.

“Looks like a son of Apollo.” One Dracaena said.

“The Beast will be most pleased with us.” The other hissed, “Now help me get them to a cell.”

Then Will went completely unconscious. 

It felt like his body was floating in limbo. Just a dark blackish greyish void. He held his hands out in front of his face and saw nothing.

Then.

Will started to see a vision of his old home back in Texas. The creaky old porch steps out front with the chipping red paint. The blue and purple hydrangeas that grew in the front lawn. The sound of wind chimes that hung in the window, with a small prism that hung down on the lowest string which reflected small little rainbow fragments across the porch.

The front lawn looked like it hadn’t been mowed in a while, and the long boards that connected posts for a fence along the front lawn were bowed, with some of them having been broken clean in half.

He could hear a familiar voice singing from inside. 

Will stepped on the porch to get closer, but the closer he got, more clearly he could hear the sad pitch in the woman’s voice. She sounded defeated, hurt, sad, lost, depressed. Her presence felt like all these things and then some.

It was his mother, it had to be. Her voice had aged, but it was unmistakably her. The sound of a guitar was playing a familiar tune that equally matched her tired, melancholy tone. 

Her once sweet as honey, loving, kind voice, was now so tragically sad.

_ “[You](https://youtu.be/2cBzMSPYKas) are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey.” _

Will went to grab the doorknob, but his hand passed right through it. He settled for just walking through the door.

_ “You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. So please don’t take my sunshine away.” _

His mother was sitting on the edge of the dining room table next to a sliding door that led to the backyard. 

She looked so much older than when he’d last seen her.

_ “The other night dear, as I lay sleeping. I dreamt I held you, in my arms.” _

She wore a pink and tan plaid button up with a white camisole underneath. Her blue jeans were worn at the knees, and she wore black sandals that wrapped around her ankles. 

Her face was paler than he remembered, still with that splatter of dark freckles. She had wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, and her cheeks were tinted pink as tiers were streaking down her face while she sang. 

_ “When I awoke dear, I was mistaken. So I hung my head, and I cried.” _

Next to her was a picture of Will when he was only nine years old. It was from the first time she’d taken him out some traveling fair that passed through their town. Will was so excited because it was all so new and exciting. A lot of things were like that at that age.

He was sitting on his mother’s shoulders and pointing to gods only knows what off camera. Both of them were smiling. 

With a pang of guilt, it dawned on Will that today was the date he went missing years ago.

And with a sickening dread, it occurred to him that he very well might be watching his actual mom right now. Who’d gone years believing her only child was dead. Who’s had many years of guilt and hurt piling on her shoulders. 

So many  _ ‘If’ _ statements must be going through her head right now. 

_ ‘If only I’d paid more attention. If only I put aside my career to spend more time with him. If only I were a more attentive mother.’  _

Will wanted so desperately to tell her that it wasn't her fault he'd gone missing. It wasn't because of her. He didn't _want_ to go. But he couldn't. All he could do was stand there and watch her cry. He couldn't even hug her, though right now he needed to.

Will stepped back through the door and sat on the steps. This was too much right now. This was way too much right now. He felt overwhelmed with guilt for leaving his mother, even if not by choice. He felt the prickling of tears welling up in his eyes, and gods he hated crying. 

He hated feeling weak. 

“Will?” The blond’s head shot up and he locked eyes with someone standing at the opening of the fence around the yard.

It was Nico.

How in the world?

The son of Hades walked down the path to the front porch and approached Will. His mother’s singing was still traveling out through the open front windows. And Nico’s expression was unreadable as he took in the sight of Will on the verge of a mental breakdown. He came to a stop right in front of Will, a good two feet between the two.

Part of him was willing to believe this wasn’t real. That Nico wasn’t standing right in front of him in the middle of a dream. One where he gets to be reminded of parts of his past that made him hate himself more than he realized he did. But of course Nico was here. Of course a child of one of the big three could do incredible things.

Nico’s presance was different than the entire world around him. Different from his mother, who was still in the dining room crying over the loss of a son who didn’t actually die. He felt solid.

Will was blinking back tears, so he looked off to the side hoping Nico wouldn't notice. Which was dumb, because of course Nico would notice. He already knew Will wasn’t strong enough. He already knew Will wasn’t reliable enough since they were in this situation  _ because _ of him. So it would make sense that Nico would know he was some pathetic cry-baby. 

Why the hell not?

Part of Will expected Nico to punch him, or blame him for getting them captured, or tell him off for being just as obstinate as himself. Probably all three.

So it came as a surprise when the son of Hades just sat next to him and said nothing, only putting a hand on Will’s shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Will buried his face in his hands and tried to regulate his breathing. Tried to calm himself down. Hopped that when he spoke next, he wouldn't crumble into hysterics like he felt he was going to do.

Gods, Will hated crying. And he hated it so much more with an audience. 

Why was Nico being so calm about this right now? How was he not angry? How was he so  _ ok _ with this?

“I don’t have very many memories of my mother,” Nico’s voice sounded quiet and unsure, “My dad had me and Bianca dipped in the River Lethe in an effort to make it easier for us to adapt to the modern world. But…

“I can vaguely remember little things. Like how Bianca looked so much like her. Or how she would call me _ ‘Mi Topalino’ _ when she was happy to see me. Or even how she made the  _ best _ baked mac’n’cheese that I still, to this day, have ever had.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Will didn’t mean it to sound mean or dismissive or anything like that. He just didn’t understand  _ why _ Nico would trust him with this after getting them caught by the Dracaena.

“Because…” Nico signed, “I want you to know you don’t have to pretend you’re ok when you aren't. Sometimes just telling another person about something difficult can make the weight a little bit lighter.

“I’ve been learning that a lot more recently. Jason is very persistent.” Nico laughed, “I don’t think I would be staying at Camp Half-Blood if it weren't for him and his constant support over things I hated about myself. Helping me feel ok about what I am, and moving on with life.

“I’ve been running for a long time now. From Camp Half-Blood, and New Rome. It’s terrifying to let people really get to know you. And trust that things would be ok when they do.”

Nico took his hand off Will’s shoulder and gripped the ledge of the step they were sitting on before he continued to speak, “When I was helping the others on the Argo II, me and Jason had to go on a solo mission to get Diocletian’s Scepter. We had to confront Cupid to get it, and the god forced me to admit for the first time openly that I-” Nico hesitated before finishing, “That I like boys.”

Will’s eyes widened a little and he took his face out of his hands to look at the son of Hades, who was looking at Will from the corner of his eye, “That was something I struggled with a lot. Especially growing up in the era that I did.

“Gods do I hate Cupid for making me do that, and you can quote me on that. But Jason’s instant support of it slowly made me realize it was ok. That it shouldn’t be another reason to hate myself.”

A moment of silence fell between the boys before Will finally broke it.

“I left home when I was ten.” Will was startled to hear that he’d actually said it, “Growing up here with my mom, I didn’t  _ want _ to go.”

Will took a moment to get his thoughts in order, “Sure she could be a little neglectful sometimes, but it was never intentional. She really did try to be a good mother, but she was also dead set on her dream of being a country singer that it often got in the way. 

“She would spend late nights out at gigs. Leaving me home alone to take care of myself. Sometimes not coming home till well past midnight.” Will rested his chin on the palm of his hand, letting the other one drop to his side next to Nico's.

“The day I left, I was playing in the woods alone. I took a pretty nasty fall and sprained my wrist. That’s when I first met Pietro. He taught me about my ability to heal, helped me figure out how to fix my wrist, then told me I was being followed and led me to an entrance to the Labyrinth to get away.”

Nico’s brows furrowed, “Were you actually being followed?”

Will tilted his head as he thought, “Yeah, I was. It was a man I don’t know. I’d only noticed him when I started to run after Pietro and heard the heavy thumping of feet running behind me.” he recalled the feeling of horror and thinking  _ ‘I’m gonna be killed by a random man in the woods, I’m gonna to die-I’m gonna die-’  _

“I got a brief look at him before I fell into a small opening where the ground fell into the Labyrinth, just small enough for a little kid. The guy had short blond hair. He was tall and angry looking.

“I heard him say something about the son of Apollo before the hole sealed shut above my head. Pietro led me through the safest possible route in the Labyrinth to get to New York, but I saw things that will never really leave my head.” Nico hummed, in agreement. The Labyrinth wasn’t a kind place.

“It felt like a week, tops. But when I finally got out, it was apparently over a year since I left.”

“Time works weirdly here.” Nico said, “You can be here for a year, only to find out it was maybe an hour in real world time. Or vice versa.”

“It does.” Will hummed, “I was found by a satyr and brought to camp. Pietro disappeared, and my brain just chalked him up as some weird coping mechanism. I knew it didn’t make sense, but no children of Apollo have been able to talk with mice for decades, so it was easy for my brain to just accept it like that.

“It was later that I found out my mother thought I was dead. She  _ still _ thinks I’m dead.” His mother’s singing had long since gone quiet, “Luke helped me find information on it. Now, all I have left of home is a few newspaper clippings and a copy of my own obituary.” It felt so odd to say that out loud after all these years. It felt so odd to admit that, from a legal standpoint, he was dead.

“Wait, you have a copy of your own obituary?” and why was Will not surprised that that was the little factoid Nico’s brain latched on to.

“It’s weird, I know, but-”

“Dude, that’s actually kind of cool?” Will’s eyes widened at that, “I wish  _ I _ had my own obituary. I don’t even know if I got one. But if I did, I’d want to have it. Like a little time stamp that said clear as day  _ ‘Nico De Angelo was alive at this time.’ _ It’d be really cool, I think. Legally I’ve been dead for, what? 73 years now?”

Will was pretty stunned, “I guess when you put it like that it sounds kind of cool.” he sighed, “I just miss it here. And for, like, the stupidest reasons too.

“Who in their right mind would feel nostalgic for summer nights that were so hot you couldn't lay under the blankets? Or the obnoxious buzzing of cicadas? Or even bible camp?”

Nico gasped, “Oh my god you went to bible camp?”

Will snorted, “It was a weird time in my life. My mom had a tour during the summer and needed a place for me to stay during that time. So bible camp it was.”

Nico looked almost offended on Will’s behalf, “What was it like? Did they make you sit in a church and read passages the whole tome, or--”

Will actually laughed, “It wasn’t nearly as horrific as you’d think. It sucked, yeah, but the camp counselors were mostly college students looking to fill a community service quota and didn’t really care. And the few adults that were there were so awkward to be around because they tried to use ‘ _ Teen Slang’ _ ,”Will used air quotes, “Or used outdated pop culture references to try and connect to us.

"I can't say it was the same for other camps, though. I'd only gone to one, and only once."

“Oh my gods.”

“It was also really funny, in retrospect. Because I still turned out gay in the end.” Will’s face heated up when he said that last part, which made him exceedingly grateful that he’d gotten tanner over the summer which probably helped hide it some.

He looked over at Nico, and the other boy was actually  _ smiling _ . One of those smiles that lights your eyes up right along with it, making his usually dark and brooding eyes light like warm chocolate. 

And maybe…

Just maybe…

There was a little flicker of hope in there too.

It was amazing how much lighter everything felt, and how naturally conversation came between the two after that.

Suddenly, Will’s eyes shot open and he realized he was laying on the cold cement floor of a holding cell. The only source of light was coming through a small slit in the door.

And then Will remembered that  _ ‘Ah yes. We’re still being held captive by some monsters. Super-de-duper.’ _

“Will?!” The blond jumped as Nico abruptly shot up, awake, and still disoriented from the tranquilizer dart.

“Right here.” Will carefully put his hand on Nico’s shoulder and flynched. The darkness was considerably worse than it had been. Close, if not exactly as bad as when he appeared on Half-Blood Hill, “Nico…”

The son of Hades slumped against Will’s side, clearly too exhausted to care about his usual discomfort with physical contact, “I feel like shit.”

Will was terrified. He could feel parts of Nico fading and it horrified him, “You’re such a fucking idiot.” 

The healer pulled the son of Hades into a hug, scared that if he let go, Nico would dissolve into nothingness. Nico didn’t protest this either, his body was shaking so badly that Will wasn't sure if it was Nico shaking, or Will. Gods he couldn't lose another friend. Especially not Nico. And especially not now.

He felt tears running down his face  _ ‘When had I started crying?’ _

For once, though, he didn’t give a damn about it. He had every goddamn right to cry. He was  _ allowed _ to cry. 

It was  _ ok _ to cry.

Nico wrapped his arms around Will’s waist and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

“I’m sorry…” Nico mumbled.

Will bit back a bitter laugh, “What are you sorry for?”

Nico took a deep breath, “We wouldn’t be down here if we’d just stayed in the infirmary.”

Will scoffed, “Nico you sound like an idiot.” he buried his face in Nico’s shoulder not caring if his tears were soaking through his shirt, “It’s my fault. We should have looked harder for the Delta symbol, or we could have brought something in case-”

Nico pulled away from Will, but not completely. Just enough to hold Will’s face in his hands, “If it’s not my fault, then it isn’t yours either, idiot.”

Will could almost laugh at that, had his heart not been in his throat. He knew if he tried to speak, he’d just start crying harder than he already was. Nico brushed a thumb under one of his eyes to help wipe away a tear track, but a new tear just fell to take its place.

The atmosphere out here was such a stark contrast to the comfortable and safe place they were in back in Texas. Here was cold, dangerous and full of that  _ bad-wrong-bad _ feeling.

The hands cradling his face were the only comfort Will had at the moment. The boy in front of him was so important to him. The aching in his heart only grew more and more as the days went by in the infirmary, and who even knew how like they’d been in the Labyrinth now. 

Did Nico know how much he meant to Will? That right now, he held his whole heart in his hands? They were in very real danger of dying right now, but all Will could think about was  _ ‘What would happen if i just leaned forward? What would Nico do if I just kissed him right now?’ _

And he almost acted on it, but then the sound of something small and metal clanked to the floor by the door.

_ —Come on losers. Let's get a move on before the monsters realize I took their keys.— _

Will’s head darted upwards to the door, staring with disbelief. Perched on the little slit in the door, was Pietro the little brown mouse.

* * *

Fine me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you thought that were gonna kiss, didn't you ( •̀ ᴗ •́ )
> 
> Not gonna happen just yet!
> 
> Also, when I was little my mom use to sing me 'You Are My Sunshine' all the time, and I remember feeling so unbelievably sad? She would sing it in a happy, cheery voice; but the line "Please don't take my sunshine away." Made me scared because I thought someone was actually going to come take me away from my home.


	14. Day ???: You are enough.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe it? More angst.

Unlocking the door from their side was easier than it should have been. Whoever created these cells had the ingenious idea to have access to the lock from both sides. Not that Will was complaining.

There was one issue, though.

Nico was too weak to stand. 

“Nico, you need to get on my back so I can carry you.” 

“No.”

“Nico, we don’t have time for this. You can’t even stand without needing to lean on the wall.” Any semblance of the intimate moment they shared only minutes ago was shattered by Nico’s sense of pride, “I’m not leaving you here. Stop being a brat.”

“It’s embarrassing _ — _ ”

“Well would you prefer me carry you bridal style?” Wills brows knit together, “Would you like that? Would that be good for you?”

Nico let out an indignant huff, “Gods you’re so annoying  _ fine. _ ”

Will crouched down enough for Nico to climb up his back, “Says the boy who would prefer being left behind, rather than being carried out.” Nico’s arms wrapped over Will’s shoulders, and hiked his legs high enough for Will to grab them and hold on.

Pietro climbed up Will’s leg and was now settled atop his head.

“Hey Will,” Nico started, “How’s it feel to have a literal rats nest for hair?”

_ —I have never felt so disrespected in my life. Will, drop him now.— _

“I’m not going to drop him, so enough of that.” he said despite the comment about his hair, “Where are we off to?”

_ —They’re set up at an exit of the Labyrinth. That’s where we need to go.— _

“Oh well that’s all fine and dandy, up until you remember that we’re unarmed and virtually defenseless at the moment.” Nico and Will’s stomachs growled, “And hungry.”

“What’s he saying?” Nico asked.

“We’re very close to an exit.”

“That’s good?”

“Up until you realize it’s heavily guarded.”

Nico frowned, “I could try _ — _ ”

“Nico if you suggest shadow-travel one more time, when we get out of here I’m going to throw you directly into the sun.”

“Ok then.”

_ —Go left down the hall.— _

Will started in that direction. The clapping sound of his flip flops was echoing down the hall, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph _ — _ ” He kicked off his shoes, “These shoes are too loud.”

“Ok Mr. Bible Camp.” Will felt his face redden when the other boy’s breath brushed against his ear, “Now we just go shoeless?”

“They weren't doing much for my feet anyways.

_ —You aren't as defenseless as you think you are.— _

“Oh my gods, stop saying that.” Will frowned.

_ —Your friend said it the other day.— _

“Nico didn’t—”

_ —Not Nico, you idiot boy. The blond one.— _

“Who, Jason?” Will was just confused. He thought back to their conversation. Nothing came to mind from their talk on the hill. Was it something from that night in the infirmary?

_ “It kind of makes sense.” Jason observed, “Life and death are two sides of the same coin, right?” _

“Two sides of the same coin?” 

_ —Life and death. Yes.— _

“Yeah, great, life and Death. Two sides of the same coin. Ahhh _ — _ except for that part where I’m only a healer, and Nico is in no state to fight right now.” Will took a second to hike Nico up his back a little more secured from where he started to slide down.

Nico was silent for a moment before finally speaking up, “ Smintheus. Will, that’s another aspect of your father.” Gears were turning in his head, “He’s associated with mice and rats.”

_ —Smart boy.— _

“Will, you said there haven't been any children of Apollo who’ve been able to speak with mice for decades, right? Someone who can control plagues, they aren’t common. It makes sense _ — _

“Wait, you said the guy who was chasing after you; he had short blond hair? He looked angry?”

Will’s eyebrows knit together, “Yeah. What are you getting at?”

“All i’m saying is, having power over plague, that’s a serious thing. Even if it only targets a few people at the time, it can spread to others like a wildfire. That’s too much power for one person to have, being able to wipe out thousands of lives at a scary pace is a very dangerous thing to have. 

“I’d think the gods would want those who could do that out of the picture. Does that make sense?” Nico peered over Will’s shoulder to try and gauge his reaction.

Will didn’t like where this was going. He felt his blood go cold, and he stopped walking.

“I’m just a healer…”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

_ —Listen to him. He speaks the truth.— _

“When you got to camp, what happened?” Nico asked, trying to prove some kind of point.

Will thought about it. 

He remembered being greeted at the big house by Chiron in his disguise. He remembered a man talking with him. He was tall, pale skinned with black hair. He was terrifying as all hell. He looked Will over, like he was assessing him like one would look at a particularly unappetizing bowl of fruit. 

_ “I’ll give it a chance. But it’s on you to take care of things should they go sour.” His voice was deep and commanding, “I suppose I’ll have to speak with the others now.” He didn’t look too pleased about it. _

_ And with that, the man disappeared in a cloud of shadows. _

Chiron had been very insistent on training him and honing his ability to heal. He was nervous around Will at first. But things changed quickly and the centar had grown quite protective of the young son of Apollo. 

Will always found it easy to get on peoples good side. 

“I think… Your dad was there.” Will said quietly, “But…”

_ —I got you to safety. I did what I was asked. I kept an eye on you, kept you as safe as I could. But I was not exactly welcome. Mice tend to make people nervous.— _

Pietro sneezed.

_ —You were trained as a healer, a very good ally to have on your side. Chiron hoped training you in the art of healing would make you a kinder individual. So if you ever did learn how to use the other side of the coin, you would be weary enough not to use it. But right now, if you are to make it out alive with your boyfriend, you need to use it.— _

Will’s face went beat read and he almost dropped Nico, “He-He isn’t my _ — _ ” Will’s mouth snapped shut before he could say any more.

“What did he just say?” Nico asked, gripping around Will’s shoulder to prevent himself from falling.

“It’s ahh _ — _ not that important _ — _ I mean, I just _ — _ I can’t _ — _ ”

“Will, it’s gonna be ok.” Nico tried to reassure him, “You asked me the other day if I trusted you to get us out of here.” Nico buried his face in Will’s shoulder, “Well I do. I trust you.”

“It’s just… This is a lot.” Will started walking again, “I don’t even know how to  _ use _ it. I’ve never done anything like causing people to get sick. I’ve never even thought about it. I could never…”

“And that’s what makes you a good person, Will.” Nico continued, “You’re always saying how you’re just a healer, and that you feel like you’re defenseless and weak.

“Well you aren't. Even without the plague powers, you could never be weak. You aren’t  _ just _ a healer. You care about everyone. Even Ocravian. Right to the end you tried to save him, despite what he was doing.” Nico’s voice was wavering.

“Will, despite telling yourself all these things, when you’re presented with your only way to defend yourself, you still hesitate because you’re scared of hurting more than just the monsters.

“That takes more strength than you realize.”

Gods did Will hate crying. But he couldn't help the tears rolling down his face right now. Those words were so hard for him to hear. Four years is a long time to go on hating yourself. Hearing someone you care so deeply for say them hurt.

_ —It’s not as difficult as you’d think. It’s just reversing what you already know. You have someone to protect. You have someone important to you, someone you love. It’s the only way to get him to safety. You can do it. Just focus on those targets. They’re just monsters. There’s no way for it to spread past them when they leave no actual body behind to host it.— _

Will took a deep, shaky breath, “Ok.”

They had no way of knowing if the cells they were passing by were empty or not. But Will had a sad feeling they might not be. 

“Pietro?” Will asked.

_ —Yes?”— _

“Are there others in here?”

_ —There were. We have a good success rate of escape here.— _

“We?”

_ —Other mice and rats. Really the monsters here aren't very bright.— _

“Ahh…”

The closer they got to the exit, Will was hit with an actually pleasant, warm breeze. It made him remember how freezing he was up until this point. That and the pleasant warmth from Nico’s body.

They were  _ so  _ close to safety. Or, really, less danger. They were still a beacon to any monster out there. And Nico was the son of Hades, that had to make it so much worse. That didn’t stop Will from hoping though.

That’s when they could start to hear the chatter of the monsters up ahead, “They’re weak right now. No need to worry about that dark underworld magic. One attempt and the son of Hades will fade completely.”

“We’re very fortunate indeed. We will be rewarded handsomely. A son of Apollo is a good tribute to The Beast. Just powerless enough to contain. No weapons either!” The other voice started cackling.

“They walked right into our clutches. The perfect find!” 

The more they spoke, the more confident Will was starting to feel about this plan. They didn’t think all that much of Will. He had the advantage.

So long as he could do this, they would be free.

Gods please, he had to do this.

He started to take a mental catalogue of illness he’s learned about. Would it work with any illness, or did it have to be an actual plague? That was dumb, it was power to controle and aparently incubate  _ plague _ . Of course it had to be an actual gods damn plague. 

His mind wandered to his lesson on the black death. Three plagues. Bubonic, Septicemic, and Pneumonic. He was terrified of all three. Should he go easy and choose Bubonic, the lesser of the three? Or choose Septicemic, which was next in line. Pneumonic was quicker, and more deadly though. 

Could he go through the symptoms quickly enough? How did this work exactly?

There was a corner just up ahead, the walls were washed with warm sunlight. His eyes kind of hurt looking at it after roaming through such dark tunnels for who even knows how long. The voices were so much more closer now. No doubt it was right around the corner.

“How many are there?” Will whispered just low enough for the ears around him to hear.

_ —One second.—  _

Pietro hopped off Will’s head and skittered over to the bend to peak around, then scampered back to Will.

_ —12.— _

Will’s eyes widened, “12.” He whispered.

Nico’s arms tightened around his shoulders, “You got this.” his voice was hushed, “You might want to put me down though. Might be easier.”

Will didn’t trust his voice not to crack if he said anything, so he settled for a nod. Carefully, he lowered the son of Hades to the ground. In the better light, Will could get a good view of the damage Nico’s magic had on him. 

He felt tears prickle in his eyes. Nico was so pale, his hair was a mess, and seemed to drip darkness from the tips of its strands. He looked so frail, so unlike the son of Hades looked normally; strong, powerful, unstoppable. Despite that, there was a fire in his eyes. He believed in Will. Just the look alone grounded Will. He could do this. 

He trusted Will.

“I’ll be back.” Will’s voice wavered slightly, but he hoped Nico didn’t catch it.

As he went to stand back up, Nico’s hand came up to grab Will’s arm and bring him back. He was now kneeling directly in front of Nico. From this close, Will could see tears welling up in Nico’s eyes too.

“Will…” his voice wavered slightly, “I…” Nico seemed frustrated with his words, so instead he reached up to cup Will’s face in his hands and pulled the son of Apollo into a kiss. It was short. It was sweet. And it set butterflies loose in his stomach. Will’s hand came up to cradle Nico’s face, too, before their lips separated.

Nico had tears rolling down his face, but he was smiling, “That wasn’t a goodbye kiss.” he sniffled, “So you better come back, or I’ll find you in the underworld and fight you myself. Got it?”

Will was crying too, but he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, “Got it.”

“Alright." Nico grinned, "Knock ‘em dead, sunshine.” 

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

I listened to [Banana Bread](https://youtu.be/bACMIB_VhlE) by Cavetown on loop while writing this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLAGUE WILL PLAGUE WILL PLAGUE WILL
> 
> So I actually kind of got a little emotional writing this chapter. Sometimes the hardest thing really is to hear that you're enough, and you're a good person etc. 
> 
> I like the slow progression I have Will going through of realizing it's ok to be emotional and vulnerable. 
> 
> Let boys cry.


	15. Day ???: Pietro Conte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will's gonna need a little help.

Will was a man on a mission. He had to fight for what he believed in, fight for who he loved, fight for—GODS THIS PEP TALK SUCKED!!!

Nico was counting on him. If he failed, the son of Hades was in even more danger than he was in already. He refused to fail him. 

Not before the classic  _ ‘What are we?’  _ conversation could happen. Will still felt the ghost of Nico’s lips on his own. He had to agree, in no way would that be a goodbye kiss. 

He’d spent so long crushing on Nico. Now that he actually had him, at the very least as a friend, he couldn’t let things end here. 

Will was crouched by the bend where the hallway turned to the entrance, taking deep breaths and trying to focus. 

Which was kind of hard to do when he could feel Nico’s eyes on him, even from 20 feet away.

_ FOCUS _

He could spot the two Dracaena that captured them earlier, who seemed to be lounging in the sun like they didn’t have a single care in the world. Standing guard at either side of the entrance, two Telekhinds stood armed with spears. While five more stood around a crackling fire, one stirring something in a pot. Three large Cynocephali paced the perimeter of their makeshift camp, dog ears perked as if expecting an attack at any moment. 

Which was kind of fair. 

Because Will was gonna attack them any moment now. 

_ —This might get tricky for you. To cause infection, you’ll need to touch them. Focus the way you would when searching for the source of ailment, latch onto the weakest point, and reverse the process you’d use to heal. Focus on a plague, and force it into them.— _ __

“Wow, that’s it?” Will said sarcastically, “Well why didn’t you say so?”

_ —I come all this way to help, and this is the thanks I get?— _

“Sorry, I’m just stressed.”

_ —I’m gonna go to the son of Hades. He’ll need my help most here.— _

Pietro hopped off Will’s shoulder.

_ —Remember what I said. You can do this. We both believe in you. Make me proud, Will.— _

Will’s eyebrows furrowed, “The hell you mean Nico needs your help most?” But the mouse had already scampered off to where Nico sat against the wall a good 20 feet behind him. 

_ ‘Not like I’m an expert on this or anything.’ _

Will thought bitterly.

He took a deep breath. He could do this, it was as simple as healing, or so he’s been told. Just, reverse the process? 

_ Please, dad, if you can hear this, help me keep them safe. I’ll never ask for a single thing again. _

And with that final, silent prayer, Will finally crept around the corner. 

He could do this. He had to.

…

Nico’s heart was racing as he watched Will finally round the corner. His tears were finally starting to slow down, but gods he felt like shit. His everything hurt, and he felt hollow inside. 

It frustrated Nico to no end that all he could do was sit by and wait.

He had to hold out faith that Will could do this. He knew he was stronger than Will thinks he is. That dumb, lovable idiot.

And had this been a different situation, Nico would have panicked at the idea of calling the other boy lovable. But gods it was true. He was an obstinate brat, he was kind, and he was loving. Even to Nico, who’s been nothing but an obstinate brat right back. 

_ ‘That idiot has an actual heart of gold.’ _ Nico thought as he rubbed the rest of the tears from his eyes.

He heard a little squeak noise as Pietro bounded towards him. Anger flared up in him as the mouse came to a stop a few feet in front of him. 

Will needed his help, what the hell was he doing coming back over here?

“Really?” Nico bit out, “Will needs you right now, why the fuck are you coming to me when—“ 

In a matter of seconds, the mouse before him erupted in a cloud of golden dust. The dust all came together to form something’s silhouette, and for a few horrified moments, Nico knew they’d been set up.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to fight the person in front of him who just sent Will out to fight a battle he wouldn’t be able to win. Who filled the two boys with a false sense of hope that they could make it out of here alive. 

He felt so betrayed. 

But more so, he was angry on Will’s behalf. He’d dragged the son of Apollo through hell, pulled him from his home, and caused his mother to fall into a downward spiral of grief and guilt thinking that her son had died and it was her own fault!

The gold dust finally solidified in the shape of a boy who a little older than Nico and Will. Of whom was crouching down on the balls of his feet in front of him, with his arms resting on his knees.

He had curly dark brown hair, and dark olive skin with the same splatter of freckles that could easily match Will’s own. The freckles and curly hair were probably the only similarities between the two, though. 

His eyes were a brilliant golden/honey mix. He was smiling like an idiot, which showed that he had slightly crooked teeth. His nose was more pointed, he had higher cheekbones, and a little scruff around his jaw line.

He was dressed like a vintage poster child: dark grey knicker pants, white dress shirt and a pair of black suspenders. Instead of a newsboy cap, he had a large nautical style blue and white sun hat that hung down his back by a strap wrapped around his neck.

He also wore no shoes.

Nico wanted to smack that smile right off this guys face, “You lying son of a—”

The other boy put a finger to Nico’s lips to stop him there, “It’s not what you think, son of Hades.” He had a thick italian accent, “The name’s Pietro. Pietro Conte, at your service.” 

He extended a hand to Nico for a handshake. 

Nico slapped it away, “So what? You trick us into following you? You send Will to his death? What are you playing here?”

Pietro’s smile faltered, “I play no games, son of Hades. I was tasked with keeping Will safe. I intend to do just that.”

If Nico could kill a man with a glare alone, Pietro would be down in the fields of punishment right this very minute. Unfortunately, he could not.

“And how the hell do you plan on that?” Nico hissed, “You could have been a human this whole time? You could be helping him right now and—”

Pietro pressed a finger to Nico’s lips once more to silence him. Nico was tempted to bite it, but he refrained.

“I personally can’t help him fight, and I can only be in this form for a short while. I don’t have much time to explain, but you’re right about one thing. Will can’t do this alone.

“He'll need your help.”

Anger flared up once more in the son of Hades, an aura of darkness started creeping along the walls and floors around him, and Pietro flicked Nico’s nose, “Enough of that now. I can’t heal you if there's nothing left.”

Nico’s anger turned to confusion, “What do you…”

Pietro smiled once more, “Let me fully introduce myself.” 

He reached his hand out once more, “The names Pietro Conte, Son of Apollo, Smithius aligned.”  Reluctantly Nico shook the strange boy’s hand, “I was the last plague child before Will, born in 1900. I messed up big. To make up for that, I was turned into a mouse and tasked with helping the next son succeed where I failed.

“This is the last thing I can offer. I’ll use the rest of what I’ve got to get you back up to snuff.”

Nico’s brows furrowed, “And then? What happens?”

Pietro’s grin grew wider, “Then I can finally be with my love in Elysium. He’s been waiting for quite a long time, you know.” He said it matter of factly.

To say Nico was surprised would be an understatement. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that the mouse that lead them through the Labyrinth for the past who knew how many days was a son of Apollo all along. But he was also an Italian man, who was born _ before _ him, and grew up gay in Italy? 

His mouth hung open, which he only found out when Pietro pushed the son of Hades' jaw shut, “You look like an idiot. Stop that.”

Pietro pressed his open hand to Nico’s chest, right above his heart, “Oh yeah, Will was right. You’re absolutely a mess right now.” Pietro tsked.

He raised his other hand to rest on Nico’s head, “Hmmmm.” he thought for a moment, “Yes I can make this work.”

The other son of Apollo began to hum a comforting tune, something Nico vaguely remembered but couldn't quite pin. Pietro's hands began to glow with a golden light, and his eyes were now glowing blue; much like Will’s.

Nico’s body felt numb for a couple seconds, then suddenly he felt whole again. He felt his strength come back to him. He felt the darkness that threatened to make him disappear all drain away.

As this happened, Pietro’s body became more and more yellow and blurry. 

Right before he finally faded into golden dust, he said one last thing.

“Tell Will I said thank you.”

Nico sat there in shock for a moment, before he heard the yelling around the corner.

* * *

Fine me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

I also drew some art for [this](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com/post/641480510206574592/plague-will-plague-will-plague-will)? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I may or may not have gotten way too attached to Pietro, so writing this made me both very happy and very sad. I blew up my cousins phone with his whole backstory and everything lol
> 
> Anyways! Happy late birthday to our boy Nico (even though it's technically a day late whoops)


	16. Day ???: Two sides of the same coin.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> !!!Gore warning!!!
> 
> The boys finally escape the Labyrinth. 
> 
> Good for them. 
> 
> Good for them.

This would have been so much easier if a requirement for infecting someone hadn’t been physical contact. It would have also been easier had Will known beforehand how to use it. 

It certainly would have been more efficient. 

Oh, what Will wouldn’t give to have Lou Ellen here right now. He could use a little bit of mist magic, possibly nab some kind of weapon to defend himself as best he could once he was inevitably detected.

That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

The first thing he did was press his hand squarely to the back of one of the Telekhinds. 

He had only seconds to pull this off. He located a weak spot and mentally gave it a tug. Kind of like what one might do to a stubborn drawer. It was kind of like that anyways, like putting something in it and slamming it back shut.

He imagined the beginning symptoms for the pneumonic plague. If he was going to pull off quickly excelling the ailment, it’s best to shoot for the one with the shortest working mortality rate. 

It starts with a headache, fever and a weakness of the limbs. And with equal parts horor and relief, he felt something dark begin to form inside the Telekine. He didn’t have enough time to monitor it though, as he had to jump backwards to avoid being clubbed in the head by the shaft of a spear. 

“We have a prisoner escape!” He shouted.

Almost all at once, the other 11 monsters were scrambling to retrieve their weapons and charge at the son of Apollo.

“You’re outnumbered and outclassed, son of Apollo.” one of the Dracaenae hissed as she approached him.

“You are nothing compared to us. You have no weapons, and no real powers.” She stated, “What do you hope to achieve?” She pointed her sword just under his chin, the tip just barely making contact with his throat as she smiled.

“Be a good prisoner and go back to your cell.” a Cynocephali growled.

“Not gonna happen.” Despite the very real fear that his throat was about to be slashed, Will stood his ground.

“What are you going to do, son of Apollo? How do you hope to fight us with only your healing arts?” One of the other Telekhinds snickered. 

Almost as if on cue, the Telekhind Will had touched started coughing up golden Ichor into its hands. It looked up with equal parts terror and anger, “What did you do?” It barked. 

Will smiled to hopefully mask the fear he felt over what he’d done, “Like I’d tell you.” Gods he hopped Pietro was right and this would be contained. 

The side effects were certainly accelerating much quicker that Will had thought. Morbidly, Will thought about how quickly that might affect a regular person. If it was tearing apart a monster from the inside this quickly, a regular person wouldn't stand a chance. 

The Telekhind was now on the floor. The other monsters looked to their friend with horror, which Will used the distraction to his advantage. He quickly stepped around the sword and grabbed the Dracaenae by the arm and did the same thing. 

Only this time it was different. The part of skin he’d touched began to quickly blacken. Spots started appearing all over her body as he tugged on that weakness and let it fester inside her. She crumpled to the floor, with her body now unable to support her weight.

The Telekhind’s body dissolved into golden dust that blew away in the wind. 

“What kind of magic is this?!” She shouted, clutching her stomach like it might explode at any second. Then like the Telekhind, she too vaporized into golden dust that blew away.

Two down, ten to go.

Will was able to run through the monsters and for the most part avoid being hit, save for the occasional nick from a sword. He touched three more monsters, the last of the Dracaenae, followed by two more Telekhind. 

The son of Apollo knew there were some things here he would truly be scarred for life from in this experience. Erysichthon digging through mountains of bones, his horrid smell that could easily curdle milk. Getting bitted by the psychopath who was intending to eat him alive. Horrifying bone amalgamations. The feeling he got from holding Nico on the verge of fading. Seeing his mother crying while mourning his supposed death.

Now he gets to add watching a Dracaenae's skin melt off leaving behind a skeleton which exploded into gold dust and blew away in the wind.

The two Telekhinds crumpled to the ground, one's skin breaking out in bubbly hives, and the other had gold Ichor draining from its eyes before they exploded into gold dust.

That will also be added to that list.

Five down, six to go.

And this was the fun little part where things started to go wrong. One of the Cynocephali took Will by surprise and bit down on his right arm, and with a sickening crunch, Will knew both bones in his forearm had just been broken and cried out.

Through the excruciating pain that shot from his now very broken arm and through his body, Will was still able to infect the monster through the contact. Will was in too much pain to pay attention to the no doubt horrific way it died, and it quickly vaporized into gold dust. 

As it’s teeth vanished, Will collapsed to his knees while his body tried to register the shock and damage that was done to his arm. He cradled it to his chest as his mind began to race.

He was only halfway there, six monsters killed, and already he was in a bad spot. He couldn’t give up now though. If he died here, Nico was gonna hunt him down in the underworld and kick his ass. He had absolutely no doubt the son of Hades would make good on that promise. 

If Nico made it out of this alive, that is. But then Will had the thought of getting tracked down by ghost Nico anyways ready to kick his ass, and tried his best not to smile at the absurdity of it.

Failing here wasn’t an option.

Nico and Pietro were counting on him.

Will focused on the damage, four breaks total, two on both the ulna and radius. Gods it just _had_ to be a broken bone, didn’t it? The one thing he had difficulty with healing.

He felt tears start to well up in his eyes, which didn’t help when he already felt way too dehydrated from crying so much during his time in the Labyrinth. Which was an embarrassing thing to have to admit.

Not to mention, Will felt like he was gonna be sick. He couldn't quite tell if it was from the pain in his arm, or if it was coming from using his plague powers on multiple monsters in such quick succession. 

Will was starting to become overwhelmed by the monsters surrounding him, the final two Cynocephali and the remaining four Telekhinds. They had their weapons pointed at him, now being careful to maintain distance.

“Any last words, son of Apollo?” a Cynocephali barked out, his spear pointed inches from Will’s heart.

“Hey!” Nico shouted.

He stood in the entrance with his hand pressed flat against the doorway. He looked livid, with his brows knit together and mouth turned down in a deep frown. Darkness was seeping into the ground at his feet, and spreading across the wall his hand was touching like tendrils of blood traveling through a body of water. His other fist was clenched at his side.

He looked considerably better than he’d been about ten minutes prior, but that didn’t stop the wave of terror that consumed him as he saw Nico using his powers. 

“Nobody hits my boyfriend!” 

Nico’s voice boomed, causing the remaining six monsters to flynch. 

The ground around the monsters started to rumble, and six skeletal warriors clawed their way out just enough to latch their hands around the monster's legs. Black tendrils started to surge up from where the hands made contact, and with terrified screams, the monsters were pulled below the earth’s crust. 

It all happened in a matter of seconds, the monsters and skeletons had disappeared into the earth, with the cracks sealing up like it never happened at all.

Will’s heart was racing.

And embarrassingly enough, it had nothing to do with the horror and efficiency the son of Hades just displayed with taking down six monsters. 

No, no.

Nico just called him his boyfriend.

“You’re ok?” Will’s whispered, his voice full of concern but still shocked.

Nico made his way over to where Will was sitting on the ground and dropped to his knees. He nodded. 

“Let me see.” He held out a hand, gesturing to Will’s broken arm. 

The son of Apollo looked bewildered, but let him pull his broken arm towards him. Just simply moving it hurt like hell, and made Will wince.

“Sorry,” Nico was holding his arm like it was as fragile as a robin's egg, “I’m gonna try something. Is that ok?” He looked from the injured arm and up into Will’s eyes.

Will was definitely blushing but he didn't care. He nodded his head.

Nico laid his other hand out over where the bones had broken and closed his eyes. Will felt an uncomfortable tugging sensation in his bones, pain shooting up his arm as it continued, making him grit his teeth. But after a moment, the pain was all but gone. 

Nico opened his eyes again and carefully turned Will’s arm around to test it. The bones were mended. 

Will took his arm from the son of Hades and looked at it with amazement, turning it all around to test it, “How’d you do that?” He looked from his arm and locked eyes with Nico.

The son of Hades blushed and looked away, “I was thinking about our conversation. Life and Death being two sides of the same coin.” He started to rub the back of his neck.

“I can control bones and create skeletons and stuff, and I’ve been thinking about it since Jason mentioned it the other night. How we both experience similar kinds of exhaustion when we over do it with our powers.

“If you could use your powers to kill, why couldn’t I have some healing properties as well?” Nico finally turned his head to look at Will again.

The son of Apollo was looking at Nico like he put the stars in the sky, then he grinned, “Thanks for the assist. Six at once isn't bad.”

“Isn’t bad?” Nico’s brows furrowed before it dawned on him, “Oh I see what you did there, you fuckin dork.” The son of Hades’s smile was so breathtaking it could give the stars a run for their money. 

He playfully punched Will’s shoulder, “Six at once, I could say the same for you.”

“Yeah don’t get used to it,” Will smiled, “I’m _never_ doing that again.”

Then Will started looking around, “Wait, where is Pietro?”

Nico’s smile fell, “He’s… He’s in a better place.” 

The joy Will felt faded in mere seconds, “Nico, what do you mean?”

“There’s a lot that needs to be explained. I have a feeling Chiron would know more about it, but Pietro healed me and now he’s—” Nico faltered and Will’s blood went cold.

“Pietro was a son of Apollo, a healer just like you.” Nico reached over and held Will’s hand to try and comfort him, “I don’t know what he did to anger the Gods so much, but he was turned into a mouse for it. He wasn’t allowed to pass on till he helped the next son of Apollo who had plague powers succeed where he failed.”

Will gave Nico’s fingers a squeeze, “I’m so confused…”

“I don’t blame you. I am too, I almost—” Nico held his free hand over his mouth, but Will could see the other buy was trying to stifle a laugh, “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be insensitive here, but I almost slapped him.”

Will’s eyes widened.

“In all fairness, I thought he just set us up. When you see a mouse burst into gold dust then form a person, I think you might have a similar reaction after separating your team.” 

Will bit his lip trying not to smile, because gods the boy was dead now, but the absurdity of the situation was now setting in.

After a moment, Will started looking around them in confusion, “So we’re out of the Labyrinth now. But where are we?”

The opening to the tunnel they emerged from looked like the front of an abandoned mine shaft built into the side of a hill. A dirt path led from the entrance of the Labyrinth to a beach about 30 feet away. Between the trees around them, shrubbery threatened to overtake the path. The clearing they were in was just big enough for a small camp with a fire pit in the center. The pot over the fire had been knocked over in the scuffle, and whatever was in it put the fire out; which was now making sizzling hissing noise. It smelt of burnt rubber.

The path led to a beach not too far from them, which on its own was breathtaking, but not for the usual reasons one might be. The sand was a dark black, with the fine grains shining as the sun was just about to dip down over the horizon. Everything was washed in cool blues and purples. A comfortable sea breeze was blowing through the clearing, carrying with it the fragrance of salt water and clean, crisp air.

Will found himself getting to his feet, reaching a hand down to help Nico up as well but not taking his eyes off the sight. He walked through the shrubbery and up to the very edge of the beach.

He rested a hand on the trunk of one of the trees skirting the beach without looking, and felt something carved into the smooth bark. He looked over to see what it was.

_PC+ER_

Nico looked over to see what caught Will's attention, and a small smile tugged at his lips, “Pietro Conte.”

“Hmm?” Will looked over to his boyfriend. 

_‘Thats what they were, right? Nico said it first so it had to be ok to think it, right?’_

“One of the last things Pietro said to me. He was off to see his love in Elysium. His full name is Pietro Conte.”

Will looked at the carvings curiously, “ER?”

“It must be his boyfriend’s initials.”

Will smiled as his fingers traced over the letters, “Boyfriend, huh?”

He turned to look at Nico with a question in his eyes. That statement wasn’t only referring to Pietro.

Nico was blushing, but didn’t break eye contact, “Is that ok?” 

Will knew they weren't talking about his brother anymore and smiled fondly at the son of Hades, “Of course.” he reached over to hold Nico’s hand, the son of Hades took it with a smile on his face.

Nico pulled Will into another kiss. 

It was nothing like the kiss they shared in the Labyrinth. This one wasn’t rushed. The two boys were taking a moment to actually enjoy it. Just two boys who cared very deeply for each other sharing a kiss after several life or death experiences. Like they might never get another chance to do so.

One of Will’s hands cupped Nico’s face while the other rested on his hip. One of Nico’s hands rested on one of Will’s shoulders while the other one carded its fingers into Will’s thick, curly, blond hair. 

It was far from perfect. Their lips were chapped, and they could certainly do well with a shower and a good tooth brushing. Their clothes were dirty and ripped in some spots, and their hair was an absolute mess. 

They must have looked ridiculous, had there been anyone nearby to see it.

But here, everything felt right. Everything felt ok. And by gods, after everything they’d gone through, they deserved to have a stupid romantic moment, kissing on a beautiful black sand beach while the sun was setting.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

Also I drew a [thing](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com/post/641667918945452032/i-was-inspired-to-draw-this-scene-from-the-recent)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Nico! 
> 
> I love these boys, and they can be happy as a treat or snack.
> 
> Also, where could they possibly be? (๑`･ᴗ･´๑)


	17. Day ???: Love isn't always happy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get cleaned up.

If you asked William Andrew Solace a month ago if he thought Nico Di Angelo would want to be with him, he would probably laugh. The son of Hades, one of the strongest demigods at camp, a boy who’s been through so much trauma he constantly pushed people away? With him?

What did Will have that could possibly make Nico open up to him? What did Will have to offer that anyone else couldn’t?

Apparently a blunt personality mixed with sarcasm was the trick. And then, maybe add a dash of genuine concern. 

When they get home, Will would also have to thank Jason for his persistence and laying out the groundwork. Because now? Will couldn’t imagine _not_ having Nico in his life.

He absolutely cherished this gremlin of a boy. Which is why when Nico panicked and accidentally shoved Will into the shrubbery when a voice spoke up behind them, Will was only _thinking_ of throwing his ass in the surf.

“Isn't this a lovely sight.” A girl's voice cooed.

Will looked on from his new found home in the bushes to a beautiful woman comfortably lounging in a chair by the entrance to the Labyrinth. Her blond hair was in an artfully messy bun, but then faded to an auburn then chocolate brown. Her skin was sunkissed, and at one point Will could have sworn she had freckles, but now she didn't. Her eyes had a similar effect; they weren't exactly brown, then gold, then green, then blue. She wore a white knit shawl draped over her shoulders, with a light blue blouse underneath, and a long white skirt that had a slit going all the way up her right leg, and gold colored sandals that wrapped around her ankle.

In her hand, she held an iced coffee with the same ease and grace as a woman holding an expensive glass of wine, twirling it so the ice mixed in the creamer better before taking a sip.

Nico looked on in horror, his entire face beat red.

“Oh no, please don’t stop on my account.” She gestured with her hand to go on, “I always love a good romance.”

Nico’s fists clenched, “Aphrodite,” her lips smiled around her drink’s straw as she was addressed, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, like I said,” she sighed and twirled her drink, “I love a good romance. It’s tragic when they end in heartbreak. But as I’m sure you’ve been told, love isn't always happy. Sometimes it can be incredibly sad.”

Nico frowned and stepped between where Will was, still staring from the small bush he’d been shoved into, and the goddess, “What do you mean?” 

“Oh not you, dear.” she crossed her legs, “I’m talking about my dearest Emilio. Tragic how his fate turned out.” She gestured to the tree with the engraved initials, “You’ve met Pietro, his love. But I must admit, as much as I love a good romance, I love a good tragedy just as well." She gestured to the area around them, “Roman and Greek, star crossed lovers, where the sky meets the sea.”

Nico reached his hand down to finally help Will up, “What are you getting at?”

“It’s no coincidence the Labyrinth brought you here. No, no. This was the place Pietro made his biggest mistake. But we can all do bad things in the name of love, and the name of revenge." She sighed wistfully.

“You see, here is where they hid away to see each other in secret. A son of Apollo and Son of Neptune. But unfortunately for them, Roman and Greek coming together has always led to tragedy. And one night, Pietro wasn’t careful enough. He was followed by a son of Zeus, who then struck down the son of Neptune in a fit of jealousy. You see, Pietro was quite the boy. Lots of broken hearts.” She took a moment to sip her drink.

“When Emilio died, Pietro lashed out and infected the son of Zues with the beginnings of a plague. You’ve heard of the influenza outbreak that started in 1918.” She said it like it was a common fact, which it kind of wasn't.

“That’s what he meant by he messed up big?” Nico asked, keeping a firm grip on Will’s hand.

“Oh it wasn’t just the pandemic, dear.” She laughed, “It was the defining incident that made us gods decide to separate the Romans and the Greeks indefinitely. When the Romans found Emilio’s body, they took it as an act of war. And when the Pietro attacked his own Greek brethren, the Greeks took it as the Romans brainwashing Greeks. A nasty battle broke out, disguised partially by a pandemic.”

Will’s fingers moved up to touch the engraving, “So how do I tie into all this?” He looked from the tree to the goddess, “Why bring me here? Where are we, even?”

Aphrodite brushed a few artfully loose stray hairs behind her ear, “You were the first Smintheus aligned child to come along since Pietro.” She said it like it was obvious, “As punishment for the pandemic outbreak which wiped out millions of mortals, your father, Apollo, was under serious fire. Hades in particular was none too pleased with the sudden issues in the Underworld as far as crowd control went. Originally, Pietro was going to be sent to the fields of punishment. 

“But Apollo bartered with Hades, and for Pietro’s crimes, he was turned into a mouse who couldn't die. He wouldn’t be allowed into the Underworld until he aided the next Smintheus child to succeed where he failed. Though, originally, we were expecting a plague child to not come around for far longer. Zeus went down to smite you himself when it became apparent who you were. But Pietro was very quick, fortunately for you. Then Hades trusted Chiron to guid you, and at the very least _I_ would say it was a success." She sipped her drink again.

“And you, William.” Aphrodite pointed a perfectly manicured finger to the son of Apollo, “Have been shown what you are fully capable of, but have shown more thought and consideration over using what you've been given. You know how dangerous a plague outbreak can be. All it takes is a single spark,” She snapped her fingers, “And suddenly half the world is on fire. You’ve used your abilities, but on your own have decided the bad far outweighs the good.” 

She smiled at the two boys, “Ahh to be young and in love. Fortunately for Pietro, he’s been granted passage to Elysium. Even tragedies can have happy endings.”

Will's eyebrows came together, "Wait, you mean to tell me this whole thing," He gestured to the Labyrinth behind the goddess, "Was all some kind of test?"

"I suppose you could call it that, yes."

He felt anger bubbling up inside him, "You put Nico's life in danger _for some dumb test?"_ his fist clenched, "What was the purpose? I could have gone my entire life not even _knowing_ I could make people sick, let alone _how._ I could have just gone on with being a healer? Why go to this extent?" 

Aphrodite seemed unfazed, "Well, Pietro _did_ try and warn you. Plus, you both made it out alive, and your little mouse is free to go back to the Underworld. It all worked out in the end." She smiled and shrugged.

Nico was now visibly upset, “That doesn't answer where we are.”

“Oh, that’s my bad.” She laughed, “Silly me. You’re in Italy, off the coast of the Mediteranian.”

Will’s blood ran cold and he looked behind him to the sea, like something might jump out and attack them at any moment. Which was a very real possibility, actually.

“Oh don’t worry too much about it, dears.” she smiled, “Things have died down some since Gaea’s been dealt with. Monsters off to lick their wounds and all that.” She stood up from her seat and walked over to the two boys, “But you will have some trouble getting home, it seems. So let me give you this gift.” She grabbed Will’s free hand and placed a single golden drachma in his palm, “Contact your camp. My daughter and the others have been worried sick.”

Will’s hand closed around the coin and he looked up at the goddess, “How long have we been gone?”

Aphrodite pressed a finger to her lips in thought, “Hmmm, at this point I would say it’s been about a month.”

Nico’s eyes widened, “A month?”

“We’ve been gone a month.” Will whispered.

The goddess smiled down at Will, “As far as I see it, young son of Apollo, you’ve certainly fared better your second time around.”

Will didn’t know how to take that. First a year, and now a month? Dread gripped Will’s heart as he thought of his disappearance into the Labyrinth causing even more people to think he could be dead. First his mother, now his friends.

“At least you didn’t have it as bad as that son of Poseidon.” She placed her now empty coffee cup in Nico’s free hand and patted the boy on the head, “I must be going, but I suppose I can give you one last parting gift. Afterall, I am Aphrodite, and you two look like you can do well with a makeover.”

She snapped her fingers, and suddenly they were no longer on the beach.

Both boys now stood confused outside a small cafe with a sign that had the same logo that was on the empty coffee cup in Nico’s hand. The goddess was nowhere to be seen. 

At least they no longer looked like they’d been living in a cave for the past month, even though that was more true now than Will cared to admit.

Nico was wearing a dark leather coat that vaguely resembled the old aviator jacket he used to wear. He had a black shirt with a faded white skull design, and his dark grey ripped jeans were tucked into black knee high converse. The icing on the cake would be the black fingerless gloves.

The outfit would have looked ridiculous on anyone, but somehow Nico managed to pull it off.

Will, on the other hand, was now wearing a plain orange T-shirt with a green and brown flannel button up over it with the cuffs rolled to his elbows. He wore a black pair of capris with the leg pockets, and a brown pair of flip flops. If Will was being honest, He was sick of flip flops at this point. He could have done great with a pair of sneakers, but at least the two weren't grubby looking hobos anymore.

He felt the weight of the single golden drachma on his pocket.

They had a call to make.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I said Pietro was never intended to be this heavily involved?  
> Because 2 days ago he was just a mouse sent by Apollo ( ்ͦˏ౦͜ˎ ்ͦ)  
> But then he decided he needed more character depth while I was driving to work.


	18. Day ???: Dumpster Diving for Banana Bread.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have a call to make, as well as a few poor life choices.

Will could admit, Aphrodite was a very big help with getting them to civilization, making sure they didn’t look like wayward vagabonds, and giving them a means to contact their friends over at Camp Half-Blood.

Will only wished they were given just a little bit of cash so they could get something to eat as well.

And that, friends, is how the two boys found themselves dumpster diving for food in the back of a coffee shop at approximately 3am. It wasn’t their proudest moment. But you do what you gotta do when you haven’t eaten in what felt like a few days. Even though technically it was about a month. According to a newspaper stand, it was September 8th.

“Hey Nico, Look what I found.” Will pops his head up from the dumpster to look at his boyfriend through a pair of sunglasses he’d found, of whom was keeping watch for passers by. 

Nico looked up from the street and facepalmed, “Will take those off you look like an idiot.”

Will raised his glasses and used them like a headband to hold his curly hair from his face, “You’re just jealous.”

“I am not,” Nico looked back up to his boyfriend, “Just take those things off your head, you don’t know where they've been.”

“Uhh, pretty sure I do Neeks.” Will took the glasses off and folded them, “They came from the dumpster.” He hooked them on the collar of his shirt.

Nico walked over to the dumpster and got on his tiptoes to peek inside as the son of Apollo ducked back inside, “Any luck finding something?”

“Yeah, some kind of muffin,” Will passed a few of them to Nico before finally crawling over the edge, “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that places will really just throw away all this good food.”

Will started brushing all the crumbs and trash debris off his clothes, feeling incredibly grateful it was a bakery dumpster and not something like, say, a butchers? Better to come out smelling like coffee grounds and pastry that smelling like night of the living dead.

The muffins themselves were kind of crushed. But at least they looked edible, and that’s all that really matters. 

Nico passed one back to Will, then used his free hand to pluck a stray straw wrapper from his boyfriend's hair. He took that moment to take away the pair of glasses and tucked them into his coat pocket, “You aren't getting these back.”

“So you  _ were  _ jealous.” Will gave Nico a knowing smile.

“Just eat your muffin, dumb ass.” He pushed Will’s arm.

They both leaned against the wall of the bakery, and Will began to pick pieces off his pastry and popping them in his mouth, “Banana bread.” he said to himself, before it really registered in his brain how hungry he was. 

The dumpster muffin was gone before he knew it.

“How are we gonna make this call.” Will asked after his muffin was gone. He had to refrain himself, despite how badly he wanted to crawl back in and find more food.

Nico scanned the street outside the small alleyway, “There’s probably a gas station open somewhere nearby. We could use a sink in the bathroom and the light to create a rainbow for the call.” He crumpled up the muffin wrapper in his hand, “We should get moving anyways.” He pushed off the wall and started walking towards the street.

Something seemed off about Nico, and Will didn’t know quite how to put it. The son of hades seemed a bit on edge. Not that Will didn’t feel on edge too. Because they were in Italy, dangerously close to the Mediterranean sea, which was not a very hospitable place for a demigod to be in. 

But with Nico, he seemed more shut off than when they’d been back at camp, or even in the Labyrinth. He was kind of keeping Will at a distance, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Or more like, how to feel about it? Because there was definitely something on the other boys mind that he didn’t want to share just yet.

Gods they’d been together for maybe two hours at best, and already Will found himself at a loss. He’d never been in a relationship before. There weren't exactly handbooks at camp for dating. 

Will supposed he could ask Piper. A daughter of Aphrodite would definitely know more about these things. Especially since she was in a relationship herself. Will would feel bad going to her with this though. He didn’t want to just  _ assume  _ she would know everything since her mother was the goddess of love. 

Maybe bring her a gift?

Like cookies or a KitKat? Would that be weird? 

Will didn’t know why he was thinking this right now anyways. Piper was on the other side of the world, and they were still in dangerous territory. 

The more Will thought about it, Nico’s deminor started to change after their encounter with Aphrodite. That had to be it. It started with Will getting shoved into a bush, and Nico's been keeping him at arms length ever since. 

Maybe it was Will? He was probably blaming this whole mess on him, getting trapped in the Labyrinth and putting him in danger. Will couldn't blame Nico for thinking that. Hell, the thought that Nico had been put in danger in the first place because of  _ him _ was already needling away at him from the back of his mind.

If Will was different, if he didn’t have these stupid powers, maybe they would still be safe back at camp. 

Will watched Nico scan for a gas station as they walked, his eyes darting around looking for potential threats. The son of Hades really did look much better than he’s been right before they left the Labyrinth. He had a healthy glow, and his aura of death was hardly there at all. Last Will felt, he felt well grounded. So for right now, Will didn’t have to worry about his immediate health.

Was Nico mad that Will didn’t want to use his powers to help fight? Will felt kind of guilty, leaving that work to the son of Hades. But he thought Nico understood  _ why _ Will didn’t want to use that power. 

As Aphrodite said, the bad far outweighed the good. And after seeing first hand how it tore away at the monsters from the inside, Will was horrified to see what that would do to regular mortals and demigods. How quickly something like that could spread. How powerless Will would be to stop it if it got out of hand.

No, that was dumb. Nico understood why. Will’s brain knew this.

But, the little thought wouldn’t go away.

“Will.” The son of Apollo was pulled from his thoughts by Nico’s voice, “There’s a station right over there.” He pointed across the street to a brightly lit gas station with an ‘Open’ sign blinking in the window.

Without saying anything else, Nico made his way across the street with Will in tow.

Nico opened the door and held it enough for Will to walk in right behind him. The man sitting behind the register looked up boardly from a magazine he was reading to see who’d walked in. 

“ Ciao posso aiutarti?” He grunted.

“Possiamo usare il tuo bagno?” Nico asked.

The man nodded and pointed to the far left of the store, “Proprio là.”

“Grazie.” Nico led the way to the bathroom.

In all honesty, part of Will did know that Nico was originally from Italy. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t caught off guard when he spoke Italian fluently. Which was very dumb, all things concidered. 

Will had been through a lot recently, though, he was allowed to have dumb thoughts.

The bathroom itself was a single, so at least they didn’t have to worry about someone walking in on them mid call. Nico locked the door behind them as Will made a b-line for the sink. He turned the faucet to as hot as it would go and pulled out the golden drachma. 

Once the steam grew large enough that the light could catch it, Will flipped the coin in, “ Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show Chiron.”

The coin disappeared, and after a few seconds and a vision of Chiron thumbing through a book came through; though he didn’t seem to notice them at first.

“Hey Chiron.” Will waved. Nico was leaning against the door two feet behind him looking intently at the wall to their left. Will pushed aside his worry.

The centar’s eyes widened and he looked around frantically till his eyes locked on them, “William? Nico? By gods! Boys where have you been?” He quickly set aside his book without taking his eyes off the message.

“It’s a long story--” Will started before there was a knock on the bathroom door.

“ Ragazzi, ok?” It sounded like the worker from the register.

“Jesus,” Nico said under his breath, “Sì, sì, stiamo bene.” Nico called back.

“But to try and put it simple, the Labyrinth is back. We fell in, literally, and got trapped. It let us out in Italy.”

Chiron seemed to visibly age, “Dear gods of Olympus,” he muttered, “You’ve been gone for a month and three days. We’ve all been worried sick. I’ll need to make some calls after this, the others have been out searching for you. We’ve been trying to contact either of you via Iris message; but if what you said is true, it makes sense it couldn't reach you in the Labyrinth.”

“Sorry,” Will said even though it wasn't their fault it happened, “But yeah, it’s back. Nico and I are somewhere off the coast of the Mediteranian. We had a run in with Aphrodite, who said it shouldn’t be too dangerous here at the moment, but we still need to find a way home.”

Chiron thought for a moment, “Aphrodite talked with you. And the Labyrinth..” He was scratching his chin, “Will, did anything happen while you were in the Labyrinth?” He locked eyes with the son of Apollo, who grimsed.

“When we can, I need to talk with you. There was, ah,” Will looked off to the side, “A lot happened, and I know you probably know part of it, or have an idea. But it’s a lot to unpack right now.”

Chiron gave Will a long look before closing his eyes and sighing, “I knew this day would come, I just wish it wasn’t this soon.” His eyes opened up again and he gave Will an apologetic look, “I’m glad to see the two of you are well--”

There was a knock on the bathroom door again, and both boys looked behind them, “Voi due non potete stare lì insieme, vieni fuori.” the employee sounded annoyed.

Nico’s eyebrows came together and he was very much annoyed, “Saremo fuori tra un minuto.” 

“Is everything ok?” Chiron asked, looking concerned.

“It should be?” Will said while looking at Nico for confirmation.

The employee knocked again and kept talking, which was making Nico more and more angered. They started what seemed like an argument from either side of the door, and Will turned his attention nervously back to Chiron.

“We’re in a gas station bathroom. I don’t think we’ll have much longer. We only had one drachma, so as of right now we won’t have any way to contact you again unless you call us. But hopefully we’ll find a way home soon.”

“VA BENE, VA BENE!” Nico eventually shouted, “Will we need to leave, he’s being a prick.” The son of Hades looked over Will’s shoulder, “Sorry Chiron, bye.” He waved his hand through the image and quickly turned off the faucet.

“What’s wrong with him?” Will looked over to the door.

“I’ll explain later, come on.” Nico grabbed Will by his elbow and threw open the bathroom door.

“Partiamo, partiamo! Cazzo malato!” Nico shouted at the employee who was now back behind the register, now on the phone.

Will had no idea what they were yelling at each other, but something told him the language Nico used was probably very colorful.

“Buon viaggio e non tornare!” The man shouted after them as they left the store.

If Will thought Nico was upset earlier, he definitely was now. The son of Hades continued to drag Will behind him as he stormed down the sidewalk with absolutely no destination in mind. 

“Nico, is everything ok?” Will eventually planted his feet to stop their walking.

Nico refused to look at the son of Apollo, “I,” He let go of Will’s arm and closed his eyes shut, “I’m sorry. I’m not meaning to be,--” He sighed, “Being ok with being,” he hesitated on the word gay, “It’s still an uphill battle for me.” He finally looked up at Will, “I’m sorry, I know I’m kind of taking it out on you. I’ll try to be--”

Will stopped him there by putting his hand on Nico’s shoulder and looking him in the eyes, “Nico,” The son of Hades flinched and looked away, “Dude, it’s ok. I get it.” Nico looked surprised, “I was worried that I’d done something wrong, but I think I understand now. The thing with Aphrodite took me off guard too.”

Nico looked around to see if anyone was nearby, He locked his eyes on a small ally and grabbed Will’s hand to led him over to it. Probably because it was a more secluded place to talk about something that made him paranoid. 

Once they were safely tucked away and completely out of sight, Nico looked visibly more relaxed.

“The thing with Aphrodite put me on edge for more than catching me off guard.” Will was pleasantly surprised when Nico didn’t let go of his hand and absently traced his thumb back and fourth on the back, “Something she said upset me. It was the same thing Cupid said when he forced me to out myself in front of Jason.

“And being open about it is still pretty new to me, but I’m trying.”

Will smiled at his boyfriend, “And that’s ok.” he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, “At camp, the only people who know I’m gay are my siblings and now probably Jason. But being outside of that safe bubble of camp has me a little nervous too.

“Probably not to the same extent, but it’s ok. We can take it at your own pace, I don’t mind.”

Nico still looked apprehensive, “You’re sure it’s ok?”

“Of course. I might not be an expert on relationships, but I do know setting boundaries is important.” Nico seemed to visibly relax, “Let me know if I do something that upsets you, and I’ll do it right back. Communication is important.”

Nico gave a shy smile, “Thank you.” He squeezed Will’s hand. He peeked his head out of the entrance to the ally to scan for other pedestrians before ducking back in and pulling Will into a hug.

“Of course.” Will mumbled into the crown of his head.

“That guy at the gas station was rude.” Nico mumbled right back.

The blond pulled his head away to look at his boyfriend, “Yeah, what was up with that?”

Nico’s face blushed and he started to frown, “He was being a creep. He was making a big deal out of us going into the bathroom together.” He looked up at Will, “Tell me, why does nobody bat an eye when two girls go into the bathroom together, but the second it’s two boys they get suspicious?”

Will frowned, “Yeah I guess that is weird.”

He immediately thought we were gay, and that we,” Nico’s brows knit together, “For christ sake, we’re 14. I hate adults sometimes. I really do.”

Now Will’s eyes knit together, “What the actual fuck?”

The sun was starting to rize, and Nico let go of Will and stepped away.

“So we contacted Chiron, and now they know we're at the very least still alive.” Will said as he stepped from the alleyway, “Now what?”

“We find a way to get home. But I have an idea,” Will opened his mouth to stop him there, knowing full well what was about to leave his mouth, “It’s not shadow travel.” Nico stopped him before he could say anything and waving his hand, “Going across America is one thing, but crossing the Atlantic the first time was a stretch, even without a huge statue and two other people.

“This used to be a centerpoint for Olympus. So there's probably an entrance to the underworld nearby. I think I can feel it, but it’s a bit of a ways away. If we can find that, I can navigate us through it and get us to the entrance in Orpheus’s path. It comes out directly in New York city.”

Will looked at Nico curiously, “How long a distance would that be?”

Nico looked pleasantly surprised, “I was expecting some kind of objection about going down to the underworld. But it shouldn't take us more than a few days at most. Distance works differently there.”

“I have no qualms about going to the underworld, it’ll be different, but if it’ll get us home then we should take it.” Will shrugged, “But if it’s gonna take us a few days while we’re in there, we should probably pack some food and water or something.”

Nico seemed to be thinking the same thing, “We need to, but have no money.” A small smile crept across the son of Hades mouth, “Hey Will, how do you feel about shoplifting?”

Will’s mouth pressed in a flat line, “Nico you’re a bad influence.”

“I’m taking that as a yes?” 

“Do we have any other choice?”

“No, probably not.”

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things at work have been craze the past few days so sorry for the later than usual update! Hopefully the longer chapter makes up for that.
> 
> The thing at the gas station is low-key based off something that happened with two of my friends when we were in middle school.
> 
> Also what a time to be a small Charlie, for I have been blessed with a mint chocolate chip milkshake today.


	19. Day ???: Nedra's Shop of Books & Riddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mild gore warning!

So Nico was way too skilled a shoplifter than Will would have liked. It benefited them greatly right now, but Will certainly had a list of questions for the son of Hades that would need to be asked later. 

Will now carried a backpack, which had a box of granola bars, some trail mix, a few KitKat and Snickers bars, some chips and a few uncrustables, plus a flashlight. Nico himself had some bottles of water, a lemon lime gatorade, and some Kool-Aid cherry flavor packs and a flashlight of his own. Plus some rope and a mini first aid kit.

Nico also managed to nab a pocket knife from a general store for Will to use in case of emergencies. 

They were walking side by side along the sidewalk as Nico focused on following after the faint signal to an old entrance to the Underworld. Will was nervously chewing his lip as he looked around for any suspicious looking people or things. 

So far, it seemed like Aphrodite was right about things dying down some since Gaea was defeated.

That didn’t mean monsters were out of the picture entirely. And that didn’t mean they couldn’t come back sooner rather than later. So far their luck hadn’t been on the spot.

Erysichthon's chamber and images of flesh melting off the bodies of monsters as sickness infected them at rapid rates all flashed through Will’s mind sending a shiver down his spine.

Nico tugged at his arm, “Will, this way. We’re getting close.”

They rounded a corner, which led to a kind of sketchy looking side road. It was more a grungy looking alleyway and less a street corner. There were a few shop entrances on the brick wall to the right.

Nico stopped in front of one in particular, which had a sign with an open book design and words in Italian that Will couldn't read.

“Nedra’s Shop of Books & Riddles.” Nico supplied, “It’s in here.” 

Something about this place made Will feel uneasy. 

“In a book shop?” the son of Apollo asked as he looked up and down the narrow road they were on, then to the cluttered storefront window of the shop. The back of a bookcase covered a good half portion of the front window display, while a few books Will could only assume were  _ ‘Best Sellers’ _ stood propped on a stand in neat rows. 

A rather large siamese cat was curled up in a small bed in the window. It cracked one bright gold eye open to see who was there; then upon deciding they weren’t interesting enough for it’s time, the cat simply yawned and stretched out on its pillow.

“Yeah.” Nico nodded, sparing a glance to his boyfriend, “There’s no doubt. But something is differently off. If I were betting, I’d say there’s some kind of fun surprise waiting inside.”

“Sounds about right.” Will agreed, looking from his boyfriend then back to the storefront window. The cat was now gone.

“Well, you wanna open the door, or should I?” Nico asked.

“I can do it.” Will said then continued to look through the window in a trance with a perplexed expression on his face.

Nico smiled and rolled his eyes, “I got it, don’t worry.” The son of Hades opened the door, which made a little bell chime noise. 

Instantly, as they stepped into the shop they were hit with the smell of warm lavender and honey.

“God’s I hate the smell of lavender.” Will grumbled and scrunched up his nose.

Nico looked around the shop curiously. 

It was a lot bigger than you would guess from the outside. The walls were lined with tall, antique looking wooden bookshelves. Every book on them was the exact same height and thickness, but the colors varied between deep purples to light blues. Between each book case, there were little cushioned alcoves for people to sit in and read comfortably. A small table with a lit candle stood between each seat. 

The carpeted floors were a near blackish grey, with a small ornamental swirling pattern in full on black, and the walls were a deep purple; which contrasted greatly with the light color of the furniture in the room. A counter with a register was connected to the wall directly to the left of the door.

“Hello boys.” A female voice purred from behind the register, causing the two to jump. She was definitely not there before, “How may I be of service?”

The woman had bright gold eyes, straight brown hair which was brushed over her right shoulder, fair skin and thin red lips pulled into a suspiciously innocent smile. She was wearing a dark purple long sleeve shirt with black lace cuffs at the ends, and over her shirt was a yellow apron with a name tag that read Nedra.

“Hello, you must be the store owner.” Will said, “We’re just gonna look around, if that’s ok?”

She tilted her head ever so slightly and nodded, “Of course. But I do have one tiency little requirement for every customer who comes in.”

Will and Nico looked to each other, then back at Nedra, “What’s the requirement?”

She laughed, “Oh, no need to be nervous. It’s nothing much.” She tapped her pointed red painted nails against the surface of the counter, “Answer me this riddle: What lives on it’s own substance and dies when it devours itself.”

Something seemed to instantly click in Nico’s head as he looked at the woman, then scanned the area once more, locking eyes with Will and trying to  _ say _ something. But gods did Will have trouble reading expressions sometimes. 

The son of Apollo took a moment to carefully consider the riddle the woman behind the counter asked. It was short enough that his dyslexia wasn’t making it a confusing jumbe in his head. It was a riddle, so it was sort of like a poem. That was also another aspect of his father. So even though Will wasn’t as at it as any of his other siblings were, he still had somewhat of an advantage.

Something that lives on its own substance and dies when it devours itself. 

Will’s nose scrunched up again as the smell of lavender seemed to get stronger and stronger the longer they stayed in the shop. It was always too powerful a smell, and gave Will vivid flashbacks of his Aunt Minie who dried the flowers in her windows. Not that there was anything  _ wrong _ with Aunt Minie per say, but she was definitely on the conservative/religious side of the family.

Ok maybe there was a lot wrong with Aunt Minie; and even though Will could only recall a few things about her from his childhood, he’d known damn well why his mother never left him alone with her. Like that time she joked about burning down the church she went to when the new priest was of Mexican descent. Or her less than friendly attitude towards the lgbt+ community. Or her less than ideal choice of flags she hung on her front porch.

God’s, what would she think of Will if she saw him now? A gay, libral boy dating an imigrant. 

The scent of lavender was so heavily associated with her, it made him gag. What Will wouldn't do to put out all the lit candles in here and open up a window or two.

Then something clicked in his head, “A candle!” Will said it with a look of triumph.

The shop owner smiled at the two boys, “Ding ding ding!” she sing-songed, “Now you may enter.” her smile now had an almost sinister glint to it.

Nico looked through the shop window, then back to where the owner was still smiling at them. Then to Will’s surprise, his boyfriend linked his arm with his and led him away from Nedra. Nico was already iffy about any form of PDA, so it was kind of nice.

Once they were out of earshot, Nico unhooked their arms and feigned interest in the books on the shelves, “Will,” He whispered, “Notice anything strange about the owner?”

Will thought for a moment, and unintentionally tilted his head in confusion, “I mean, asking us a riddle _is_ kind of strange I guess. Why? What are you thinking?”

“I’m  _ thinking _ that it’s very strange for a random shop owner in some town far outside of tourist destinations to speak English as fluently as she does. Learning the language isn’t all that uncommon, but to instantly assume we didn’t speak italian is kind of odd.” 

Nico picked up a book to examine its cover and frowned, “These are all the same book in different colors,” Nico said more to himself, “But as I was saying. She also wouldn’t let us enter until we answered a riddle. There was a cat in the window, and now it’s gone. Not to mention the fact that this place radiates death.”

Will’s brows furrowed, “Isn’t there an entrance to the underworld somewhere in here?”

“It sounds odd, I know. But the entrance is giving off a different energy. It feels ancient. The feeling of death here is fresh.”

“See anything you like?” Nedra spoke up from behind them, causing Will to flinch and Nico to accidentally drop the book in his hand, “Oh sorry, boys. Didn’t mean to startle you.” 

She bent down to grab the dropped book before Nico could even move a muscle, “Oh this is one of my favorites.” She hummed as she flipped through the pages. This close, her nails really did look like claws, and now her presence was starting to feel bigger than her figure was letting on.

“I am alive without breath and as cold as death,” She began to read aloud, “I am never thirsty but always drinking.” She looked up from her book to the two boys, “What am I?” there was a challenging glint in her eyes that seemed only a tad bit unstable.

It took Nico only a moment to respond, “A fish.” The son of Hades returned her challenging eyes with a look of calm. Like he suddenly knew what was going on, and had all the right cards in his hand. 

Nedra’s smile faltered into something malicious momentarily before returning to another innocent smile, “Well done!” She quickly snapped the book shut and returned it to its place on the shelf.

Will and Nico exchanged looks over Nedra's shoulder as she began to thumb through the books on the shelf between them, “You boys are very good with riddles.” She purred, pulling another book off the shelf which was a copy of the first, only it was blue instead of purple. She stepped away from them just enough to sit on the back of a couch in one of the little alcoves.

“How about this one: It brings back the lost as though never gone, shines laughter and tears with light long since show, a moment to make, a lifetime to shed, valued then but lost when you’re dead.” 

She looked at Will with a challenging gleam in her eyes, like she knew he would fail and was excited to see it happen.

To be fair on Will, it was a  _ lot _ of words to peace together for an answer to the riddle. If it was written out in front of him, things might have been different. At least then he could continue to look over it to piece it together. Will was a visual learner.

“This is certainly a new look from the Labyrinth,” Nico spoke up, putting an arm in front of Will and stepping between the son of Apollo and Nedra, “You’ve given up on your fun little show  _ ‘Answer that Riddle’ _ I see.”

Will had absolutely no idea what Nico was talking about, but from the way Nedra’s face contorted into an angry sneer and her teeth became sharp he knew something was up, “Ahh son of Hades,” she hissed out, “I thought I recognized you.”

Will rested his hand over his pocket knife as he watched the exchange, “Nico?”

“She’s the Sphinx. She must have come back when Gaea was rising.” The son of Hades scanned the area to work out a plan, “You’ve been here for a while, I see. How many?”

The Sphinx was pacing around them like a cat about to pounce, “How many what? Days? Months? Years?” she purred. Her figure began to contort, hands forming clawed talons while the rest of her body erupted in blond fur. Her pupils turned to long black slits, and large feathery wings tore through the back of her shirt as she changed fully into the monster they now knew she was. 

As she changed, she grew at least double in size and began walking back and forth on all fours.

“No,” Nico replied, “How many people have you killed because of your stupid games?”

“How dare you mock my riddles, you disrespectful little demigod.” She hissed, coming to a stop right in front of him and baring her fangs only inches from his face.

“Ok no,” Nico’s eyebrows came together, “I’m so sick of people calling me small-”

“Priorities, Nico.” Will put his hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. 

"Anyways," Nico huffed and shook Wills arm off, “I can tell it’s been too many.” Nico was staring down the barrel of a gun, per say, in that if the Sphinx so chose she could bite his head off in a matter of seconds.

“Care to join them, son of Hades?” she smiled.

“No thank you.” Will interjected, “We answered your riddles, you have to let us pass.”

She arched an eyebrow, “Oh do I now?” she tapped her clawed toes on the ground impatiently, “I believe you haven't answered my last riddle. I like to keep things interesting. Last time I tried for a gameshow approach, but now I’m simplifying it. Rule of thirds and you shall pass.”

“Rule of thirds?”

“An artist's perfect number.” she purred, “A work is best if it can be divided into three parts and still stand alone. You’ve answered my first two. You’ve still neglected to answer the third. You want passage through the old door to the underworld, you have to answer.”

“And if we don’t?” Nico asked.

“Why, son of Hades, I believe you know what happens if you fail.” She licked her lips, “And it’s been an awfully long time since I’ve had a meal.”

“Thought so.”

“What was your third riddle again?”

“Ahh, cute. But I will not repeat myself. But I’m sure you can remember it.” She snickered to herself, eyes glinting with malice. She raked her claws against the carpet as if sharpening them before a fight.

Will thought long and hard. It wasn’t as though Will didn’t have a good memory. Because he had a vast knowledge of many things in his head. Most of which, unfortunately, were not useful or important things.

A solid chunk was just Star Wars facts. All just a bunch of nerdy shit and things that could possibly get him through a game of jeopardy. 

Will’s brain took pieces he could gather and put them together:

_ Lost but never gone, _

_ Light long since shown, _

_ A moment to make,  _

_ Value lost when you’re dead. _

Nedra--or he supposed the Sphinx, snickered when she refused to repeat herself. At first Will thought she was just excited to see them fail so she could have her next meal. But the way she said the word  _ remember _ seemed odd. Like some ritch joke to her that  _ should _ have gone over their heads.

Then it hit Will with a huge moment of clarity.

“Memory.” Will said confidently as he locked eyes with the Sphinx over his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Her smile contorted into a vicious scowl, “You little,” she raked her claws against the carpet with such force it cut jagged lines across it, scraping against the cement underneath, “You weren't supposed to get it right!” She yowled as she lunged for the two.

Nico and Will split up and ran for cover as the Sphinx crashed into the bookshelf behind them. Four large claws tore through the shelfs and shredded through the books like it was butter. Her tail lashed side to side in her irritation and her wings beat out sending shredded paper from the books into a flurry.

From both sides of the room, the two demigods locked eyes. Nico was gesturing with his head towards a door in the back left hand corner of the room labeled  _ ‘Employees Only’ _ . Will was closest to it, while Nico was at the other end of the room closer to the entrance of the shop.

Nico wanted Will to run while he could, and logically Will knew Nico would probably stand a chance against the Sphinx and be able to follow Will to the back. 

But the chance Nico wouldn’t was still there.

And what could he say? He was a defiant guy. 

Will’s eyes quickly scanned the area around them. Paper was still being kicked up in the air as the Sphinx’s wings flapped wildly. She finally turned around, with her tail lashing out and just narrowly missing swiping off one of those lit lavender candles. She was facing Nico, who now had a dark aura seeping out from the soles of his shoes. 

"We got them right. Let us go." Nico demanded.

"I guess you could call me a sore loser." She hissed.

Will had an idea.

Probably a stupid one, but an idea none the less. 

Nico shot a glare at Will knowing full well Will wasn’t about to do what he wanted him to do, before turning back to the Sphinx who was backing him into a corner.

While she was preoccupied, Will quickly ran to one of the tables that had a candle on it and grabbed one. Carpeted floors, wooden furniture and a copious number of books at his disposal; this place was effectively a tinderbox. Will gathered up a handful of shredded book pieces and used the candle to ignite them before shoving them in the gaps of the already damaged book shelf.

Things escalated rather quickly, and before Nico could even summon a single skeleton Will shouted, “Hey Nedra!”

The Sphinx growled, “Son of Apollo, you are no threat to me. Run while you still can, your friend here can buy you time. I love a good chase--” and then she stopped to sniff as smoke began to fill the space, “What,” She turned around to see what Will had done, “What have you done?!” she cried.

“Don’t worry, I’m no threat to you. I’m sure you can handle a little arson.” Will threw the candle at Nedra, and as she lunged at him, he ducked to the side just in time for her clawed hand to tear right into an open flame. 

She yowled in pain, “You sneaky son of a--” She began to desperately stomp out the flames that caught onto her fur, only stomping it into the tourn carpet and succeeding in igniting more of her book store, “No! No, no! How dare you-you disrespectful little-” 

Her panicking only increased as the fire climbed up her arm. She started to slam her body up against the walls and book shelves in an attempt to put the fire out on her body, which only proceeded in making it spread throughout the shop much quicker.

Will ran over to Nico while she was thrashing around and cursing, and grabbed his hand, “We need to go.”

“Yeah no shit?” Nico said as he started to drag his boyfriend across the shop and to the back room, “The signal is coming from somewhere back here--” He started to say as he stepped through the threshold but was cut off by a sudden jerk.

Will hadn't even noticed it at first since the pain took a few seconds to register thanks to the adrenaline still pumping through his body. Everything seemed to slow down and Will got the chance to really watch horror work its way through Nico. Then came the white hot burning of something clamping down hard on his free arm.

As what felt like a large clawed hand grip his upper bicep, the sharp sinking feeling released on his wrist.

“Oh no, son of Apollo.” Will turned around just in time to see Nedra’s mouth now coated in his blood, and watch as an unnerving amount of blood gushed from large jagged teeth marks in his wrist, “You play a fun game, but you won’t get away that easily!” She had a mad glint in her eyes and half her body was still engulfed in flames, “If I go down, I’m taking you along with me.” She hissed as her claws dug into his skin further.

Will could feel his heartbeat go erratic and he could hear his pulse in his ears. Part of him knew that this was probably it, so h e let go of Nico’s hand so his boyfriend wouldn't get pulled in too.

“Will no!” Nico shouted. 

What happened next was both incredibly fast and slow at the same time. Darkness formed around Nico’s fist as he pulled his three foot long, stygian iron sword from seemingly nowhere; which seemed to surprise Nico just as much as it did the other two. 

He quickly lashed out and cut off the Sphinx’s hand that was clamped down on Will’s arm, and dragged Will after him as quickly as he could. With one last yowl in pain, she dissipated into shadows that got sucked up into Nico’s blade.

“Will you fucking idiot.” Nico said more to himself than to Will as he darted to a point in the back of the room that radiated the strongest offputting aura. Nico let go of Will and took his sword in both hands before plunging it through the ground.

It opened up into a set of stairs that lead underground and Will just watched on in stunned silence. His head felt fuzzy, and his arm hurt like hell. Nico looked up to him with concern.

“Will, let’s get you out of here.” He grabbed his good hand again and led him quickly down the steps. Will had the distinct feeling that the entrance above them sealed shut again. What really clued him in though, was the sudden darkness around them. Nico pulled his flashlight from a side pocket in his bag and flicked it on.

They stopped, and Nico sat Will down to examine the damage done to Will’s arm. He was still frowning as set his bag aside, which he could do since the path here was relatively wide. The son of Hades took out a water bottle and the first aid kit without saying a word.

Looking down at Will’s arm had Will's stomach doing flips. But he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Focusing was very hard right now with the blood loss, but he had to remain calm. 

This was nothing he couldn't heal. He’d done it hundreds of times for others at camp, he could do it here for himself. He just had to remain calm.

“We need to clean it--” Nico started to unscrew the cap on the water bottle with shaking hands before Will pulled his arm away from him and pressed his good hand over the open wound. He had to concentrate. 

Breath in, breath out.

He felt a warmth spread through his arm as the healing process began. Concentrating was harder once the effects of using his magic started to grow, mixed with the lightheadedness that came with blood loss. But he felt the wounds close sufficiently enough and halted the bleeding before he stopped.

He opened his eyes and looked over at Nico. Will felt the effects of using his power hit like a bus. It was just barely half a day since he’d used his plague powers which already took a significant toll on him. He was gonna pass out any minute.

“Why didn't you just go in the back?” Nico was frowning at Will as he asked his question.

It took Will a moment to respond while he tried to get his thoughts in order. The world was still spinning for him, “I couldn’t leave you.”

Nico’s frown deepened, “Will I could handle myself--”

“I know that.” Will cut him off, “But if the roles were reversed, you would have stayed too.”

“Will that’s different, I can fight--”

“I can fight too.” Will cut him off again and gave Nico a challenging stair. Which lasted for all of three seconds as he started laughing at himself, “Gods, I didn’t think I would actually be saying that any time soon.” He was snickering.

Nico gave Will a disbelieving stare before pressing the back of his hand to Will’s forehead, “Gods Will, did you hit your head or something too?”

Will grabbed Nico’s wrist and continued to snicker, “No.”

“Then why the hell are you laughing?” Nico tried to sound annoyed, but started to crack a smile because Will’s laughter was infectious and despite the situation they were in, he still exuded a calming, safe presence, “You’re such an idiot.” Nico pulled him into a hug.

“I guess I am.” Will’s voice was muffled in Nico’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around him too, only wincing slightly because the claw marks on his bicep were still fairly opened. 

“You wanna know something?” Will said as he propped his chin on Nico’s shoulder.

“What?”

“I really wish people would stop biting me.” Will stated.

“Yeah, that’s pretty weird that keeps happening.”

“You wanna know something else?”

“What?”

“I think I’m gonna pass out.”

And then Will passed out.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a hot minute! Sorry guys but I'm back! I has an epiphany at 3am a few nights ago for a tattoo idea and I needed to get it out on paper before I forgot it. Got it tattooed this morning and I could finally focus on this again.
> 
> Hope the extra long chapter makes up for it!


	20. Day ???: Dreaming of home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will has another dream about his mother.

The dream Will had started off suspiciously ok.

He found himself standing in the field across the street from his mothers house. Though Will experienced a projection dream recently, he could tell that this wasn’t one. Will didn’t feel as out of place here. He felt equal with the environment around him. Felt the wind blow through his golden curls, felt the grass brush across his calves and could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. 

He took a moment to appreciate the small moment of calm while he could. There was no doubt in his mind that once he left this spot things would start going down hill. They always did in dreams after he’d magically overexerted himself. Like a sick sort of punishment.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once he breathed out he finally began to step forward.

Of course the thought of just staying in place had occurred to Will before. He’d tried that many times already. But years of dealing with these nightmares has taught him that standing still would get him nowhere. His dream would go on for what seemed like days in his head if he stood in place. The sooner he got moving and experienced what bad thoughts his head put together for him, the sooner he could wake up and get out of this dreamscape. 

As he walked across the field towards his mothers house, it felt like the grass was trying to wrap around his ankles and keep him in place. His heart rate picked up and panic started to set in when he got the sudden feeling he was being chased. 

_ ‘Will, you need to go. You’re being followed.’ _ Will heard Pietro’s voice say in his head.

Each time he stumbled or a tangle of grass was being especially persistent in holding him back his heart stopped. The pleasant breeze around him turned into a harsh wind and the blue skies turned grey as thunder rolled overhead. 

Will’s sight whent tunnel vision as he looked ahead to his mothers home and his head started to spin--

He closed his eyes. Deep breath in and out. He could do this. 

When Will opened his eyes again, the storm died down some. He lifted his feet and he felt the grass binding them crack and break so he could continue moving, leaving behind patches of dried grass like his body was exuding its own aura of death. 

Will started to run as fast as his legs would let him but everything felt weighed down and the harder he tried to run the more resistance he got.

He was almost at the street when the grass began to tangle around his feet and legs again causing him to fall face first onto the pavement. Will vaguely registered something in his arm snap like a twig, but pushed himself back up and crossed the street as quickly as he could with his arm dangling uselessly by his side.

Will clambered up the porch steps, opened the front door, slammed it behind him and leaned back against it. The house wasn’t his mothers. Or it was, but wasn’t at the same time. On the outside, it was. But in here, it was just a black void with no light. The door disappeared behind him.

“William?” A female voice called from the shadows, “Darlin’ is that you?” It was Will’s mother. The upper half of her body appeared before him, only she was humongous compared to him; causing her to tower over Will and glare down at him like he was just a small mouse intruding in her home.

“Why did you leave?” Both hands slammed down on either side of Will, causing his invisible platform it to shake, “How could you just leave your mother like this?” Her voice was an angry and commanding boom that echoed around the room and reverberated through Will.

Her accusing blue eyes glared down at him, and her long, curly, blond hair was swept up behind her, “Did you even think about how  _ I _ would feel when I discovered you went missing? Did you even think to consider how this would reflect upon  _ me?” _ She howled, “You abandoned your own mother! You never even tried to let me know you were ok-- _ that you were alive!”  _ she had tears now streaming down her face.

Will opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out, “Only to find out that _all_ _these years_ you’ve been away at some wonderful little camp that could give you everything that _I_ couldn't!

“Was I not good enough for you? Was our life here in  _ Texas _ not good enough for you?” She motioned outward with her hands, gesturing to the vast, empty space around them. She then angrily slammed her hands back down on the surface, shattering the ground beneath him and sending him falling into the darkness.

“You would really abandon your own mother?” Were the last words Will heard echoing through his head as he plummeted. 

Suddenly Will jerked awake, which scared the crap out of Nico who was apparently combing his fingers through Will’s hair while his head rested on Nico’s thigh. Will looked frantically around to confirm that he was, indeed, awake and not surrounded in an endless void. His mother was gone, but her words still echoed in his head.

Nico put his hand on Will’s shoulder, “Are you ok?”

The son of Apollo turned to him and sighed with relief, slumping against Nico’s side and resting his head on the son of Hades shoulder, “Just a nightmare. I always get them when I over do it with healing magic.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Kinda?” Will sighed again, “But I don’t think now is the right time. We should focus on getting back home.”

Nico gave him a long, calculating stare before responding, “Alright.” Then he looked down the path ahead of them, “Our trek probably won't be as long as I initially thought. We’re still a good distance from my dad’s palace, but we aren’t that far from the river Phlegpethon.” Nico said that with some nervousness in his voice, “We can follow that for a bit. 

“It leads to Tartarus.” And immediately Will understood his apprehension, “The entrance is close to where we need to be.” 

“How do you know where we are?” Will was curious, “Did you go scout the area while I was out?”

Nico shook his head, “Gods no, I wouldn’t just leave you while you couldn’t defend yourself.

“I know what’s around us because this is my fathers domain. It’s similar to how Percy can navigate in the ocean and know the exact place he’s in.”

It took Will a moment for that to register, “Wait, Percy can do that?” How had he not known that? Sure they weren’t  _ super _ close, but Percy was popular enough for word to get around. 

Once it fully settled in his head, his eyes lit up, “Wait,  _ you _ can do that here? That’s so cool! It must be a big three thing, because I’d think Kayla would have told me about whether or not she could pinpoint her location when she’s in a plane. I wonder if Jason and Thalia can--”

Nico shook Will’s shoulder, “Oh my gods, Will you’re such a dork.” He said it with a note of affection, “But we should get moving if we’re gonna get back to camp. I’m sure we could ask Jason about it then.”

Will pouted, “Hey, rude.” 

Nico rolled his eyes before leaning in to give Will a peck on the cheek, “Now let’s go.” He stood up and extended his hand to help him up.

Will’s face was red, which he was grateful for the dim lighting in their passage so it went unnoticed by the ther boy. It was gonna take some time for his brain to actually grasp the fact he had a boyfriend now.

He wondered if Nico had the same thought, because even without being able to see if Nico was blushing, he still looked slightly flustered. 

"Lead the way."

They pulled their backpacks on and began their trek through the Underworld.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

Also, I drew a [thing!](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com/post/642574352436625408/im-still-in-the-middle-of-writing-this-chapter-in)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been another hot minute, and also the chapter isn't really that long, but I did draw some art for it!
> 
> Next chapter is probably gonna be bigger, I have some plans so it'll be a fun one for the boys.


	21. Day ???: The Labyrinth 2. Electric Boogaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their trip in the underworld isn't as smooth sailing at the two demigods thought they would be.

“Ok but hear me out,” Will began, “If Octavian was a descendant four times removed from Apollo and I’m a direct son, does that make me his great great great Uncle or something?” Will was holding a nature valley bar in one hand, taking bites as he went.

Nico rolled his eyes but smiled, “You’ve been thinking about this a lot, huh?” 

The underworld looked both the same and completely different to what Will was expecting. For one, he certainly didn’t imagine it to have trees or a forest down here. He’d always imagined it as more of a huge cavern of some sorts, which it still kind of was. But when he thinks about it, it would make sense for there to still be foliage and plants. Persephone lived down here. Then after that, there was the story of Tantalus being tormented with a fruit tree he could never reach and a pit of water he could never drink from.

Then a good fifty feet to their right was the river  Phlegethon , which was literally just flowing fire that stretched across the underworld and into the depths of Tartarus. 

The biome here was definitely a unique one. 

Will gave Nico a dogged expression, “I’m serious! I don’t know why it’s been bugging me, but ever since the  _ ‘Does that make Jason my uncle?’  _ thought, I’ve just been spiraling.”

“And when did that happen?”

“Like, maybe a week ago?” Will questioned. 

They’d been walking for a while now. It could have been hours, or it could have been 20 minutes. It felt as though time just didn’t exist here, and the lack of sunlight certainly made things worse. What Will wouldn't do to just lounge in the sunlight right now. Maybe when they finally get back to camp, he would take some time to himself and just relax in the hammock that was set up near the beach?

Yeah that sounded like a nice idea.

The two were navigating through a thick settlement of trees, which gave Will anxiety over its proximity to the river  Phlegethon . But they’d both been here for a long while now so he supposed it should be ok. The atmosphere was dark and gloomy. The trees themselves were dark as charcoal with gnarled branches and blackened leaves that rustled in the wind; which was another funny concept underground that Will dismissed. 

Occasionally, they could hear the sounds of hell hounds baying from far away which didn’t do wonders on Will’s nerves. His hand rested over the small lump in his pocket where the knife Nico got him sat.

“The barking has me a little nervous, Neeks. You’re sure they’re not following us?” Will asked as he surveyed the area they were in. They both stopped. The fire from the river bathed the dreary landscape with an orange flickering light. It made Will nostalgic for the silly campfire sing-alongs they did. Even if Will wasn’t that good a singer. 

Oh how he would put his mother to shame if she only knew her son was a musical dud.

Nico’s eyes scanned the area around them and frowned, “We should still be fine.” then after a brief pause, “I think.”

“You think?” Will sounded alarmed, which he was. He folded the wrapper around the rest of his remaining bar and stuffed it into his pocket for later.

“Lets just keep moving.” Nico grabbed Will’s arm and started them forward again, “Try not to worry about it.” Nico sounded a little like he was trying to convince himself too.

“Try not to worry about it? Neeks, how am I gonna just  _ not _ worry about it?”

Nico sighed in irritation, “Will for crying out loud, please just, shut up. It’s gonna be fine.” the son of Hades snapped.

Will fell silent at that but followed. He didn’t know quite how to feel about Nico getting angry with him like that. Sure he’s usually good with this sort of thing, they’d bickered before so it should be nothing new. But for some reason, that actually hurt.

They walked in silence for a while, with nothing but the sounds of Hell Hounds barking from a distance. Only maybe it was just Will’s paranoia talking, but it sounded like they were getting closer. He didn’t say anything about it though, he only followed Nico’s lead.

Maybe Will was just being annoying. Nico navigated all over this place before. He’s the expert down here. So what does Will know?

The farther they went, the trees began to change into large willows with white foliage creating ghostly curtains blowing all around them, illuminated in a pale blue like bioluminescent cobwebs. For every ten creepy charcoal trees, there was one bioluminescent willow; which gave the area just enough light to navigate through. Plus the haunting feeling of being watched by ghosts.

What’s not to love?

Will’s eyes were scanning around the trees, now more nervous than ever that they were about to be attacked. And something in Will’s gut told him it wasn’t just by the Hell Hounds tracking them through the woods. 

As a part of a white curtain grazed Will’s arm, a shock of cold washed over him; as well as a similar feeling of bad-wrong-bad they’d experienced in the Labyrinth. His ears picked up on something dragging slowly over the ground around them in addition to the faintest sound of hissing. 

Will opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. No doubt Nico could feel it too. This was his fathers domain, afterall. If Will said something now, it would probably only increase Nico’s frustration with him.

He had to trust that Nico would get them out of here, just as Will had gotten them out of the Labyrinth. 

Nico’s grip on Will’s arm loosened as they came to a stop in between a group of willow trees, just before a huge rock formation with several large gaping holes cutting into it from several angles. The rock formation was really more like a huge wall that bisects the wooded area, and the more Will looked at it, the more it seemed like it was an old fortress of some sorts.

At first Will thought this must be the palace Hades and Persephone lived in, but then thought better of that given the poor shape it was in. This place looked like it had been long since forgotten. A victim to time and crumbling away in parts, with gnarled roots from the trees embedding themselves in it and climbing up the walls like greedy tentacles.

“Shit.” Nico hissed under his breath as his eyes locked in on a small figure on the ground.

“What?” Will asked as he followed the son of Hades gaze. 

It was…

A chihuahua?

Will opened his mouth to say something, but as if he knew what his boyfriend would say, Nico cut him off, “It’s not an actual chihuahua. Echidna is nearby. That’s her guard  _ pet _ .” The animal in question gave an indignant sneeze before turning tail and retreating to inside the fortress.

A chuckle from somewhere around them reverberated through the forest, giving it the effect like the tree’s were whispering to one another.

At some point, the Hell Hounds baying from behind them had stopped entirely. Through the foliage and trees, illuminated partially by the flickering flame from the river  Phlegethon, which was now much farther away than it had been, disappearing within a fissure in the side of the fortress, the glowing red eyes of the Hell Hounds glared back at them, “We were herded into a trap.”

Nico didn’t respond, but something told Will that Nico had come to the same conclusion as well.

“There’s no turning around, my young heroes.” a female’s voice called from all around them, almost like they were echoing through the many holes in the fortress before them, “What will you do? Turn around and be eaten by my children? Or will you try and pass through  _ my _ home and be eaten by _me?”_

A chill went down Will’s spine.

“Nico, what should we do?”

Beside him, the son of Hades was fidgeting his hands, not nervously so much as in thought, as he looked around the two in a calculating manor. His eyes scanned the trees around them, sizing up their chances of running. Then his eyes scanned the fortress in front of them before finally nodding.

Nico’s hand gripped the handle of his sword, which was sheathed at his hip, “Will, be on guard.” His tone was as serious as it could be, said just above a whisper.

Will felt a sting of panic sink its claws in his head, but he nodded anyways. As much as he didn’t like their chances going into the fortress, he didn’t like their chances out here either. 

“Ok.”

The two carefully walked over to the closest hole in the wall, and with one last look over their shoulders, they stepped through the threshold of the structure.

* * *

Find me on [Tumblr](https://coolbeesbro.tumblr.com)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Sorry guys I needed a break because I was starting to get really burnt out (╯-╰”)  
> I don't know if I'll be able to go back to adding in a new chapter every day like I did before, but I hope to at least get out a new chapter every week. 
> 
> But between updates you can always hope over to Tumblr and ask me questions about the story, about head canons and other fun stuff like that! I also post art for the story there as well, so that's fun (￣▽￣)


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